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Tokyo 2020 Olympics

Tokyo governor says canceling Olympics 'not an option'

Japanese organizers brace for impact of WHO pandemic announcement on sentiment

Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike (Photo by Kai Fujii)

TOKYO -- Japanese officials preparing for the Tokyo Olympic Games were in shock on Thursday after the World Health Organization declared a coronavirus pandemic, but they are rejecting any talk of canceling the event.

Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike said ''cancellation is not an option.'' But at the same time, Koike said it is unrealistic to say that the WHO's decision to call the global outbreak a pandemic would have no impact at all on the course of discussions leading to a final decision.

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