Amid the COVID-19 outbreak, will China miss the Summer Olympics? Or, will Japan postpone or cancel the major sports event? (Image via Japan Today)

Summer Olympics 2020: Will China attend it?

Japan will not postpone nor cancel the 2020 Summer Olympics and Paralympics in Tokyo, even in the face of the COVID-19’s outbreak. Until now, COVID-19 has infected almost 64,000 people across 24 countries and more than 1,500 had died in China. Despite the astronomical figure, only one death was reported in Japan.

The head of the IOC inspection team, John Coates, said that there will be no “plan B” nor any contingency plan to move or cancel the Olympics and Paralympics.

While speaking in a press conference on Friday, all questions targeting Coates and the team were all about COVID-19 and China’s status in the Olympics. They also asked whether the Olympics and Paralympics will go as planned. Coates only asserted that the 2020 Summer Olympics remain on track.

Organizing committee president in Tokyo, Yoshiro Mori, said that there will be no organizational changes in how the Olympics will be held.

However, a former Japanese regional director of the WHO and an infectious disease expert, Shigeru Omi stated uncertainty whether the outbreak will end before the Summer Olympics.

Regarding the Chinese athletes, Coates said that the committee will monitor the athletes closely and was optimistic that the Middle Kingdom’s team will attend it eventually. China will send the largest delegations among the nations with 600 athletes.

Source: https://bit.ly/2SufGyb