COVID-19, more commonly known as “the coronavirus,” is on the brink of becoming a global pandemic.
In order to combat the spread of the virus, countries all over the world have taken extreme steps. Some are closing government offices and schools and some are even quarantining those who have been diagnosed with the disease.
One of the most extreme steps discussed in the ongoing battle to combat COVID-19, however, has been the likely cancelation of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
According to Olympic officials, Japan has until May to see if the virus is under control. If doctors haven’t contained the disease by then, officials say, they will most likely have to cancel the Tokyo Olympics.
For now, the world waits hopefully for news that coronavirus flu symptom relief will save the day.
The Olympics have been canceled on three occasions in the past. The first was in 1916, during the height of the First World War. Berlin, Germany was to host the Olympics. Given that Germany was engaged in a major war offensive, the 1916 Olympics were cancelled outright.
Again, in 1940, the Summer Olympics were canceled before their commencement in Tokyo. This, as one might guess, was due to the Second World War, in which Japan was a major antagonist.
In 1944, officials canceled the London Olympics in light of the still-ongoing war. London was under constant threat of air raids from Germany in 1944. It was probably a wise move to cancel the event.
Huge crowds would have flocked to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. But officials will probably cancel them due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
However, the International Olympic Committee urges athletes to continue training. They have not definitively decided what they will do.
The 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo have allotted roughly 7.8 million tickets for spectators.
The Olympic games are a major international draw, with competitors all over the world competing as fans rally behind their teams. If they cancel this cultural cornerstone, they will make an already dark 2020 that much grimmer.
The IOC has stated that it will wait until May, two months before the opening ceremonies, to decide whether it will cancel the event.
The IOC has stated that the severity of COVID-19 means the games would need to be fully cancelled rather than delayed. Since the disease is so prevalent, and so dangerous, the committee doesn’t want to take any chances.
