Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said Friday the COVID-19 situation will be considered when a five-party meeting involving organizers and his government decide whether to hold the Paralympics with or without spectators.
The central government, the Tokyo government, organizing committee, the International Olympic Committee and the International Paralympic Committee will meet after the Olympics end on Sunday to make the decision. The Paralympics is scheduled to begin Aug. 24, when the capital hosting it is still under a state of emergency.
The Olympics was held mostly without spectators amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Suga said at a press conference held in Hiroshima that the number of people going outside has not increased from the level before the Olympics that started on July 23.
"I do not hold the view that that the Tokyo Olympics is leading to the spread of the virus," he said, a day after daily new COVID-19 cases confirmed in Tokyo reached a record 5,042.
As the highly contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus is spreading in the country, the government expanded the state of emergency areas earlier this week and decided to expand quasi-state of emergency areas as well.
With the country struggling to contain the virus, Suga reiterated his priority is in the fight against the virus but he will decide what to do with the imminent ruling Liberal Democratic Party's presidential election and the general election by considering various factors "as a whole."
The LDP election effectively decides the next prime minister.
Suga's term as the LDP leader expires on Sept. 30, while the term of House of Representatives members run out on Oct. 21.
