Tokyo Olympic chief says Games will not be canceled

TOKYO - Tokyo Olympic president Seiko Hashimoto said here on Friday that the Olympic Games will not be canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"There are a lot of concerns, but as the organizing committee of Tokyo 2020, we are not thinking about canceling the Games," Hashimoto told reporters at a news conference.

She pledged that Tokyo will host a safe and secure games by taking measures against the COVID-19 pandemic.

The former Japanese Olympic minister was responding to comments by LDP Secretary General Toshihiro Nikai, who said on Thursday that the games should be canceled if "it is impossible."

Nikai, the No. 2 ranking member of the ruling party, told a TV program, "What is the point of the Olympics if it's responsible for spreading infections? We will have to make a decision at that point."

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga immediately released a statement, promising that the Japanese government has not changed its position to stage a "safe and secure" Games.