Tokyo Olympic organizers mull downsizing torch relay over virus

February 27, 2020

Tokyo--The Tokyo Olympics organizing committee is considering the possibility of downsizing the torch relay that will start next month amid the spread of the new coronavirus in Japan, Chief Executive Officer Toshiro Muto said Wednesday.

Still, Muto said that the committee is not considering canceling the relay at all.

He said that the committee will unveil its basic policy for the relay next week.

The committee will find out ways to carry out the relay while preventing the further spread of the virus, he said.

It is considering scaling back related events that would attract many people, including the relay opening ceremony.

The Olympic flame will arrive in Japan on March 20 from Greece and will be displayed in Miyagi, Iwate and Fukushima, the three northeastern prefectures hit hardest by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

The torch relay will begin on March 26 in Fukushima, home to Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc.'s <9501> stricken Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant. Jiji Press