TOKYO (Japan): The Olympic torch relay will be barred from public roads across Japan’s Osaka region as virus cases there spike, prompting officials to declare a medical emergency.
A decision to keep the flame away from public view had already been taken for Osaka city, but Wednesday’s announcement extends the measure to the entire prefecture.
“Today, we decided to ask residents across the entire Osaka region to refrain from making non-essential and non-urgent outings, so we will cancel the torch relay on public roads in the prefecture,” regional governor Hirofumi Yoshimura told reporters.
He said officials were discussing whether the torch could be carried on a closed route inside a park as an alternative.
The Olympic flame began its nationwide relay on March 25 in Fukushima and is due to pass through the Osaka region on April 13 and 14.
