{"id":444857,"date":"2020-08-26T01:33:22","date_gmt":"2020-08-26T08:33:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=444857"},"modified":"2020-08-26T01:33:22","modified_gmt":"2020-08-26T08:33:22","slug":"tokyo-governor-koike-city-still-intent-on-hosting-olympics-in-july-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/tokyo-governor-koike-city-still-intent-on-hosting-olympics-in-july-2021\/","title":{"rendered":"Tokyo Governor Koike: City Still Intent On Hosting Olympics In July 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike<\/strong> is committed to the Japanese capital hosting the Olympics next year despite the recent surge in coronavirus infections.<\/p>\n

Almost six months have passed since the International Olympic Committee<\/strong> and Tokyo 2020<\/strong> announced the Games had been postponed in the light of the pandemic.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

By this week though there were fewer new cases and were at\u00a0at 187 in Tokyo on Tuesday.<\/p>\n

Koike insists the situation is improving and that the Olympics are still set for Tokyo next year.<\/p>\n

In an interview with Reuters Television, she said:<\/p>\n

\u201cI think the situation is much better than before.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will do our best to prevent coronavirus infections here in Japan and also to welcome the athletes from all over the world.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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