As the current state of emergency is set to be extended beyond its end date of May 31, the Tokyo Olympic torch relay is likely to be taken off public roads in Hokkaido, whose largest city, Sapporo, is the venue for the marathon and race walking events, officials said.
The nationwide relay's segment in Hokkaido is scheduled for June 13 to 14. The island has been under a state of emergency since mid-May after repeatedly seeing record daily numbers of COVID-19 infections.
Given that the emergency is expected to be extended, officials said the Hokkaido government plans to cancel the two-day relay on public roads in 18 municipalities and will discuss the matter with the Tokyo Games organizing body.