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Show Sat/Sun/Mon/Tues, February 29-March 3, 2020 B-7 The Park Record Tokyo Olympic organizers take the offensive on new coronavirus threat Government has 3 months to decide fate of Games STEPHEN WADE Associated Press TOKYO — Tokyo Olympic organizers and the Japanese government went on the offensive Wednesday after a senior IOC member said the 2020 Games were being threatened by the spread of a viral outbreak, with their fate probably decided in the next three months. Tokyo organizing committee CEO Toshiro Muto abruptly called a news conference late Wednesday afternoon to address comments from former International Olympic Committee vice president Dick Pound in an interview with The Associated Press. “Our basic thoughts are that we will go ahead with the Olympic and Paralympic Games as scheduled,” Muto said, speaking in Japanese. “For the time being, the situation of the coronavirus infection is, admittedly, difficult to predict, but we will take measures such that we’ll have a safe Olympic and Paralympic Games.” The viral outbreak that began in China has infected more than 80,000 people and killed more than 2,700 globally. China has reported 2,715 deaths among 78,064 cases on the mainland. Five deaths in Japan have been attributed to the virus. Pound has been a member of the IOC since 1978, serving two terms as vice president, and was the founding president of the World Anti-Doping Agency. He has served 13 years longer than IOC president Thomas Bach. He also represented Canada as a swimmer at the Olympics. “You could certainly go to two months out if you had to,” Pound told the AP in a telephone interview from his home in Montreal. “By and large you’re looking at a cancellation. This is the new war, and you have to face it. In and around there folks are going to have to say: `Is this under sufficient control that we can be confident of going to Tokyo or not?”’ Pound was speaking as a rank-and-file member and not part of the IOC’s present leadership, but his opinions are often sought in IOC circles. “That the end of May is the time-limit, we have never thought of this or heard of such a comment,” Muto said. “So when we asked about this we received a response saying that is not the position of the IOC.” The IOC has repeatedly said the Tokyo Games will go ahead and has said it is following the advice of the World Health Organization, a United Nations agency. Japanese virologist Dr. Hitoshi Oshitani, who formerly worked for the WHO, said last week he could not forecast what the situation would be in five months. The Olympics open on July 24 with 11,000 athletes, followed by the Paralympics on Aug. 25 with 4,400 athletes. Australian IOC member John Coates, who heads the inspection team for Tokyo, pointed out that the IOC has an emergency fund of about $1 billion to operate if any Olympics are called off. “The games aren’t being canceled,” Coates was quoted as saying in the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper. “But if the games were canceled then the IOC is in the position to continue to fund the member sports and NOCs (national Olympic committees). But there is no plans to cancel the games.” He added: “We have canceled the games in the past at war time ... It’s just a matter of monitoring how this plays out.” At a government task force meeting Wednesday on the virus outbreak, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he was asking organizers to cancel or postpone major sports or cultural events over the next two weeks. “The next one-to-two weeks is extremely important for the prevention of the escalation of the infection,” Abe said. “We ask organizers to cancel, postpone or scale down the size of such events.” He did not name specific events but said he was speaking about nationwide events that attract large crowds. The three-month window also goes for sponsors and television broadcasters who need to firm up planning. Not to mention travelers, athletes and fans with 7.8 million tickets available for the Olympics and 2.3 million for the Paralympics. As the games draw near, Pound said: “A lot of things have to start happening. You’ve got to start ramping up your security, your food, the Olympic Village, the hotels. The media folks will be in their building their studios.” Muto declined to speculate about the future condition of the virus. “I don’t think I can talk based on presumptions over what might happen months ahead,” Muto said. “The Prime Minister has announced measures to be taken over the next two weeks and so we, too, are taking that into consideration. The biggest problem would be if this novel coronavirus infections spreads far and wide, so the most important thing to do is to take measures to prevent that from happening.” He also said the torch relay would go ahead. It is to start in Japan on March 26 in Fukushima prefecture, located 250 kilometers (150 miles) northeast of Tokyo. “We absolutely do not think of canceling (the torch relay),” Muto said. “We’d like to think about how to implement it while preventing the spread of infection, including scaling down, or other ways.” Olympics Minister Seiko Hashimoto, speaking in parliament on Wednesday, said “we believe it is necessary to make a worst case scenario in order to improve our operation to achieve success.” She added plans were being made “so that we can safely hold the Tokyo Olympics.” Also Wednesday, Japan’s Kyodo news agency reported that the Colombian Olympic Committee has decided not to participate in pre-Olympic training camps in southern Japan. Some of the petS at NuzzleS & Co. lookiNg for love These animals are available to be seen at the Nuzzles & Co. Adoption Center and Rescue Ranch. Our Adoption Center is open Monday through Friday from noon to 7 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. It is located in the Tanger Outlets in Kimball Junction. Our Rescue Ranch is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and closed Sunday. The Rescue Ranch is located at 6466 N. Highview Road in Peoa. Bingo Gunner Bonnie Geno Meet Bingo! B-I-N-G-O is his name-o and he is the cutest little chihuahua puppy. If you have been looking for that perfect companion to warm your heart and lap, then Bingo is your guy! He is very outgoing and absolutely loves people! Gunner is a Silver Labrador, he is a very smart guy that knows all of his basic obedience, and is very eager to learn new tricks and please his person. He loves children and wants to be the only pet, but may do well with other dogs with proper introduction. This is Bonnie (Bingo’s sister!). Just look at those ears!! She is a silly little girl, full of per-sonality. She would love to be your best friend and forever companion. If you have been looking for that someone special to share your couch with, she could be the one! Meet Geno! He is a lab mix that is ready to join you on all of your adventures! He’s got his bandana on and is ready for his first camping trip! He would love an active family, enjoys playing with other dogs and is just a happy-go-lucky guy! Saphire Fuzzy Grandpa Curly Sue Meet Saphire! This sweet kitty is gorgeous, and boy does she know it! Saphire loves to be brushed and will purr her thanks to you. She gets along well with other cats and would do great with a family who can spend lots of time showering her with love. This is Fuzzy! Fuzzy-wuzzy is not a bear and fuzzy-wuzzy has the most beautiful medium long hair. She is the sweetest 8 month old kitten that loves to play and give nose bops. She will make any home a warm and fuzzy place! Meet Grandpa! He is such a nice senior guy and he craves affection from people. He will follow your hand to get a soft pet, and will softly purr his thanks. Grandpa would love a home to call his own to live out his golden years in a forever home. Curly Sue is a shy but adorable cat who would love someone to give her a chance to come out of her shell. Will you be the one to give this shy girl a chance at love? WaNted: voluNteerS These Organizations are looking for volunteers. If you would like to include your group in this section, please email information to copyeditor@parkrecord.com. Please limit your entry to no more than 75 words People’s Health Clinic People’s Health Clinic is looking for volunteers who want to make a difference. We are open Monday through Friday and have volunteer opportunities (ages 17 and older) daily in vital sign intake, phlebotomy and Spanish/English interpretation. Fill out an online inquiry at www.peopleshealthclinic.org or contact Meg in our development office at 435-333-1863 Recycle Utah Recycle Utah, the primary recycling hub in Summit County for the last 25 years, is seeking volunteers. Get fresh air, burn calories, and make your community cleaner and greener. Help is needed in the front office, the warehouse, and assisting with daily operations. Recycle Utah also relies on volunteers at special events like Harvest Fest and collection events. For more information, contact Haley Lebsack at outreach@recycleutah.org or 435-649-9698. Snyderville Basin Special Recreation District Basin Recreation is looking for volunteers with a passion for play to be Park Ambassadors. Park Ambassadors patrol the parks, interact with park users, report maintenance needs, assist with tournaments, promote park safety, and encourage an overall positive use of public space. For more details visit www.basinrecreation.org or contact Angie Greenburg at 435-640-8476 or email at agreenburg@basinrecreation.org. Summit Community Gardens Interested in learning about responsible gardening in a high desert climate or want the satisfaction of knowing you’re keeping our garden and community growing? If you answered yes, than Summit Community Gardens has volunteer opportunities for you! Our mission is to educate our community on sustainable gardening techniques and empower people to grow food locally. Help us achieve that mission by volunteering with us every week or on an individual project basis. Visit SummitCommunityGardens.org/ volunteer. Summit Community Power Works Summit Community Power Works, a local nonprofit focused on energy efficiency, is looking for volunteers to staff outreach events such as the Silly Sunday Market. This is a great opportunity to take part in a community-wide initiative, be a catalyst for positive change, and leave a positive legacy. Volunteers must enjoy interpersonal communication and be willing to learn about SCPW’s goals and initiatives. If interested, please contact Erin Bragg at erin.bragg@scpw.org. For a full list of volunteer opportunities, visit parkrecord.com/ volunteers |