Olympic Flame in Japan attracts 55,000 despite virus fears

A Tokyo resident looking on as the giant Olympic rings are seen at the waterfront area at Odaiba Marine Park in Tokyo, Japan, on Sundat evening (March 22). More than 55,000 people flocked to a cauldron with the flame that was in display at Sendai Station in Sendai on Saturday. - Reuters

TOKYO: Tens of thousands of people turned out to see the Olympic Flame in the north-eastern Japanese city despite mounting concerns of the coronavirus pandemic, local media reported on Sunday (March 22).

More than 55,000 people flocked to a cauldron with the flame that was in display at Sendai Station in Sendai on Saturday, a day after the flame arrived in the prefecture of Miyagi, local newspaper Kahoku Shimpo reported, though the government repeatedly urged the public to avoid large gatherings to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.