Tokyo Olympics will not be scrapped due to Coronavirus: Officials

With the deadly Coronavirus spreading rapidly all over Asia, concerns has been raised over Tokyo hosting the 2020 Olympic Games from July 24. Rumours doing rounds had suggested that the quadrennial event might be scrapped to prevent players from contracting the virus. However, the CEO of the Tokyo Games Yoshiro Mori has slammed these "irresponsible rumours" and stated that the event will be held as planned.

"With regards to the Coronavirus, there are many irresponsible rumours but I would like to make it clear again that we are not considering postponing or cancelling the Games," he said.

"We would like to coordinate with the national government and act in a calm manner," he stressed.

The virus, that originated in China, has already caused a number of events in Asia to be shifted or canceled. The qualification events for basketball and boxing - both originally scheduled to be held in China, have been shifted to Serbia and Jordan respectively. The Shanghai Grand Prix that was to be held in April has been postponed, with uncertainties also swiveling around the Hong Kong Sevens and the Vietnamese Grand Prix.

While Japan has not seen any deaths from the virus thus far, it has reported 28 cases of Coronavirus. Four Japanese citizens are admitted in the hospital and have been declared serious. Another 174 people have been infected on a cruse ship that had floated off from Japan.

The mayor of the Olympic village Saburo Kawabuchi added that there is no clue as to when the virus will be resolved.

"We have the rainy season that could defeat the virus," he said.

Thus far, around 1335 people have died in China alone with 60,000 getting infected with the virus. On February 13 another 15,000 patients had been diagnosed with the disease.