Speaking to lawmakers on Monday, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said postponing the 2020 Summer Olympics is a possibility.

This is the first time Abe has changed his staunch public position that the Olympics will start July 24 as scheduled.

In recent days, a growing number of countries and athletes have called for the games to be postponed, while Canada said today it will not send any teams.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) responded Sunday, saying a final decision on postponement will be made within four weeks, due to the vast complexities of rescheduling a massive global sporting event like the Olympics.