'Wash your hands' - Tokyo governor to residents ahead of Olympics as coronavirus spreads

FILE PHOTO: Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike speaks during the 'One Year to Go' ceremony celebrating one year out from the start of the summer games at Tokyo International Forum in Tokyo, Japan July 24, 2019. REUTERS/Issei Kato

TOKYO (Reuters) - Tokyo governor Yuriko Koike called on residents on Sunday to wash their hands and wear surgical masks to prevent the spread of a new coronavirus which has infected thousands around the world as the city prepares to host the 2020 Olympics.

"This is one of the things I'm very worried about," said Koike on the sidelines of an opening ceremony for a 15,000-seat gymnasium in eastern Tokyo that will host volleyball and wheelchair basketball competitions this summer.