Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike is committed to the Japanese capital hosting the Olympics next year despite the recent surge in coronavirus infections.
Almost six months have passed since the International Olympic Committee and Tokyo 2020 announced the Games had been postponed in the light of the pandemic.
However, there has been much debate and speculation as to whether they will take place in July 2021 given there is as yet no vaccine.
Daily cases had soared past 400 a day in Tokyo amid increased testing leading Koike to warn the city could declare a state of emergency if the situation deteriorated further.
By this week though there were fewer new cases and were at at 187 in Tokyo on Tuesday.
Koike insists the situation is improving and that the Olympics are still set for Tokyo next year.
In an interview with Reuters Television, she said:
“I think the situation is much better than before.
“We will do our best to prevent coronavirus infections here in Japan and also to welcome the athletes from all over the world.”
Koike also said that while Tokyo has taken measures to combat the spread of Covid-19, the distribution of vaccines is an “essential factor” that still has to be determined before the Games can go on.
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