KYODO NEWS - Mar 5, 2020 - 09:35 | Sports, News, All, Coronavirus, Japan

International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach said Wednesday the words cancellation and postponement were not even mentioned in regards to this summer's Tokyo Olympics as the organization held an executive board meeting amid the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.

Speaking to reporters following the conclusion of a two-day meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland, Bach again insisted his confidence that the games, scheduled to run between July 24 and Aug. 9, will go ahead.

"I can tell you that today in the meeting of the executive board, neither the word cancellation nor the word postponement was even mentioned," he said.

Bach said the IOC is working closely with the joint task force it had already created with related bodies including the World Health Organization and the local organizing committee in a bid to address the impact of the virus, which has infected more than 90,000 people worldwide.

While questions by the media during the press conference were centered on the coronavirus outbreak, Bach repeated the IOC's "full commitment" to the Tokyo Games, adding the organization is "not participating in any kind of speculation".

He also said the IOC will consult with respective international federations about quota allocations if athletes are unable to participate in Olympic qualifications because of the virus.

Earlier in the day, the IOC's point man for the Tokyo Games, John Coates, reported to the executive board on local preparations via teleconference, including how the organizing committee is dealing with virus mitigation measures.

Local organizers explained the virus countermeasures implemented for the Japanese leg of the torch relay, which starts from March 26.

The Tokyo organizers said they will confer with prefectural authorities at least a week in advance of the relay's arrival in order to decide on specific procedures to be followed depending on the situation of infections in each location.

"I want to carry out this (torch relay) by taking necessary measures after thorough discussion with local governments," Tokyo Olympics CEO Toshiro Muto said.

Torch runners and staff will have their temperatures monitored and undergo some health checks. But restrictions may be placed on attending ceremonies, while organizers may request that people refrain from watching the relay from the roadside.

On Feb. 26, the Japanese government requested organizers of big sports and cultural events to consider canceling or postponing them in order to stem the spread of the coronavirus. Since then, professional baseball games have been played in empty stadiums, while top-level rugby and pro soccer matches have been postponed.