A western Japanese city cancelled the Tokyo Olympics torch relay over spiking coronavirus cases on Wednesday, the second area to scrap the event as the clock ticks down to the postponed Games.
The decision comes 100 days before the 2020 Olympics begin and accompanies fresh concerns about the viability of the event, with virus cases surging in Japan and abroad.
“We will cancel the torch relay in Matsuyama city. We will hold the celebration for the arrival of the flame in a way that will not involve ordinary spectators,” said Tokihiro Nakamura, governor of Ehime prefecture.
Emergency medical services in the region are “under extreme pressure” as Covid-19 cases rise, Nakamura said. (France24)