Tokyo 2020 Olympics President Yoshiro Mori said he did not intend to wear masks, despite the coronavirus outbreak that has killed more than 2,000 people in China, a Japanese sports newspaper reported on Friday, APA reports citing The Star.
"I pray to God every day that the coronavirus will just vanish," Mori, a former Japanese prime minister, was quoted by the Sponichi Annex paper as saying.
"I plan to hold out to the end without wearing a mask," he said, while exhorting reporters and others in the room, "Please wash your hands when you get home, and especially athletes - please don't catch a cold or the virus."
Masks, worn by many Japanese people during the cold and allergy seasons, are recommended for those who have reason to think they might have the virus.