Japan's Abe says cannot hold Olympics unless pandemic contained

FILE PHOTO: Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, wearing a protective mask, leaves a news conference at the prime minister's official residence in Tokyo, Japan April 17, 2020. Kiyoshi Ota/Pool via REUTERS

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Wednesday that the Tokyo Olympics could not take place next year unless the coronavirus pandemic is contained, as the city's governor called for an extension of the nationwide state of emergency.

The International Olympic Committee and the Japanese government last month postponed the Games until July 2021 because of the coronavirus crisis.