The coronavirus is a serious and deadly pathogen that has affected hundreds of thousands of people worldwide. As it continues to spread, it’s casting a shadow of doubt on the upcoming Olympic games, which is supposed to take place in Tokyo — the hotbed of the outbreak.
According to what an IOC member told the Associated Press, it could lead to a cancellation of the entire event.
If the IOC decides the games cannot go forward as scheduled in Tokyo, “you’re probably looking at a cancellation,” he said.
Pound repeated the IOC’s stance — that it is relying on consultations with the World Health Organization, a United Nations body, to make any move.
As for the possibility of postponement, he said: “You just don’t postpone something on the size and scale of the Olympics. There’s so many moving parts, so many countries and different seasons, and competitive seasons, and television seasons. You can’t just say, `We’ll do it in October.’”
The viral outbreak that began in China two months ago has now infected more than 80,000 people globally and killed over 2,700. The virus has slowed down very little over the past few months and it’s becoming a worldwide emergency.
The Olympics have only really been shut down during wartime and, even with the outbreak of the Zika virus in 2016, the shown went on. For it to potentially shut it down now means that the threat is very serious.
We will continue to provide updates on the fate of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as they are given.
