The Tokyo Marathon organizers announced today that the race scheduled in the Japanese capital on the first of next March will not be available to nearly 38,000 amateur participants, due to fears of the spread of the new Corona virus.
"We have come to the conclusion that it will unfortunately be difficult to organize this event in which amateurs participate (...) because many people have been infected" with the new Corona virus in the city of Tokyo, it said in a statement.
"Therefore, we will not organize the marathon except for elite and elite hosts in wheelchairs," a government official said, numbering approximately 200.
The decision came a few months before Japan hosts the Olympic Games next summer, as fears persist that the newly created Corona virus will overshadow the preparations for the Olympic wedding.
Japan has recorded about 65 people infected with the virus, while the number of infected people on board the "Diamond Princess" cruise ship, which has been quarantined at Yokohama Port near Tokyo, with 3,711 people, has risen to more than 450 cases.
On Sunday, Japanese Health Minister Katsunobu Kato warned that his country is entering a "new stage" in the spread of the epidemic, as Japan records new cases daily of people who have contracted the virus without having ever visited China or contacted people from China.
The minister called to avoid crowds and crowded places. As a result, the emperor's birthday celebrations, which flock to central Tokyo each year, have canceled thousands of celebrities.