The prospect of postponing the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games looms larger than ever after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Monday that delaying the event may be the only option to avoid exacerbating the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

His remarks came a day after the International Olympic Committee announced it would decide the fate of the games in four weeks after further discussion with organizers.

The prime minister, who had previously said he hopes to hold the 2020 Games in “complete form,” acknowledged during a parliamentary session for the first time that doing so may be impossible.

“When it comes to hosting the 2020 Games, I don’t believe the world is in any condition to do so at this time,” Abe said during a parliamentary session Monday.

The executive board of the IOC announced Sunday that it would decide in four weeks whether it will postpone, cancel or host the games as planned.

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