Japan still preparing for Olympics as coronavirus infections reach 1,000

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A man wearing a protective face mask, following an outbreak of the coronavirus, is seen at The Japan Olympics museum in Tokyo, Japan, February 26, 2020. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha

Olympic Minister Seiko Hashimoto had said on Tuesday that Tokyo's contract with the International Olympic Committee "could be interpreted as allowing a postponement" until the end of the year, although she reiterated that the government remained committed to the Games starting on Jul 24.

The number of confirmed coronavirus infections in Japan reached the 1,000 mark on Wednesday, including passengers and crew members who disembarked from the Diamond Princess cruise ship, officials and media said.

The latest infection was confirmed in a man in his 40s in Yamaguchi, the prefecture's governor, Tsugumasa Muraoka, told a news conference.

Cases in Japan have now hit the 1,000 mark, public broadcaster NHK said. Of those, 706 are from the Diamond Princess cruise ship, while 12 have died, the health ministry said.

It was the first confirmed case in the western Japan prefecture of Yamaguchi, highlighting the virus' presence throughout the country which is scrambling to stem its spread with all eyes on the upcoming Summer Olympics.

"Given how the coronavirus was spreading throughout the country, I thought it would only be a matter of time before a case was confirmed in Yamaguchi," Muraoka said. "We will be doing all we can to prevent the spread of the virus."

The Olympics are scheduled to open in less than five months and International Olympic Committee head Thomas Bach on Tuesday reiterated his backing for this summer's Games despite the coronavirus threat, urging athletes to prepare "full steam".

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has asked schools to close this month, companies are encouraging employees to work from home and sporting events are being cancelled or played in empty arenas.

Japan's Olympic minister, Seiko Hashimoto, on Tuesday said Tokyo's contract with the IOC "could be interpreted as allowing a postponement" until the end of the year, although she reiterated the government remained committed to the Games starting on Jul 24.

The northern island of Hokkaido, which has a population of about 5 million people, has confirmed more than 70 infections. That is the largest number of cases in Japan, prompting the island to declare a state of emergency.

Olympics host city Tokyo has seen 40 cases, while infections have been confirmed as far south as Okinawa./.