TOKYO 2020 organizers will decide whether to allow foreign spectators at the Games by the end of March, said organizing committee president Seiko Hashimoto on Wednesday.

Hashimoto, who took over as the president two weeks ago, told reporters after a five-party meeting that it was agreed that the decision on overseas spectators will be made “by the end of March.”

The virtual meeting was also attended by International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach, International Paralympic Committee (IPC) chief Andrew Parsons and Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike and Japan’s Olympic minister Tamayo Marukawa.

She stressed that all sides have agreed that holding the Games in a safe and secure way is the “top priority.”

Although the timeline has been set at the meeting, Hashimoto said that the decision should be made as early as possible.

“I personally wish to have it decided by March 25 before the Olympic torch relay starts,” she said.

She said that the issue on “holding the games with zero spectators” was not discussed at the meeting, indicating that the Games will not be held behind closed doors even if overseas visitors are not allowed into Japan.

However, the Japanese newspaper Mainichi reported Wednesday that the decision had already been made to exclude foreign fans.

It cited only unnamed sources “involved in the discussions.”

“If the situation is tough and it would make the Japanese consumers concerned, that is a situation we need to avoid from happening,” Hashimoto said.

The newspaper report came just before Hashimoto’s meeting with Bach.

The Olympics Games are scheduled to open July 23.

“In the current situation it is impossible to bring in foreign spectators,” the Mainichi newspaper said, citing an unnamed government official.

Hashimoto was asked after the meeting how Japan could even consider letting in thousands of overseas fans, given how unpopular the idea is at home where up to 80 percent want the Olympics canceled or postponed again. Japan has attributed about 8,000 deaths to COVID-19, but has controlled it much better than many countries.

(SD-Xinhua)