IOC confident of successful Tokyo Games despite public opposition

The International Olympic Committee says it supported Japanese measures to counter COVID-19 and was confident the Tokyo Olympics would be a "historic" event, despite wide public opposition.

With less than three months to go before the Games begin on July 23rd, Japan is battling a surge in coronavirus infections.

According to several polls, a majority of its population wants the Olympics cancelled or postponed for a second time.

IOC spokesman says they are now very much in an implementation phase with 78 days to go and fully concentrated on delivering the Games.

Japan has extended a state of emergency in Tokyo and three other areas until the end of May as the number of cases rises daily, forcing IOC President Thomas Bach to postpone a visit to Japan in May.

Since January last year Japan has had more than 650,000 cases with more than 11,000 deaths.

[Source: Reuters]