“If that becomes difficult, we may have no option but to consider postponing the Games,” Abe said.

Canada became the first country to pull out, with the nation’s sporting bodies refusing to attend unless the Games are moved back by a year.  

The news came in a joint statement from the Canadian Olympic Committee and Canadian Paralympic Committee on Sunday.

“While we recognise the inherent complexities around a postponement, nothing is more important than the health and safety of our athletes and the world community,” the statement said.

“This is not solely about athlete health – it is about public health. With Covid-19 and the associated risks, it is not safe for our athletes, and the health and safety of their families and the broader Canadian community for athletes to continue training towards these Games.”

The Australian Olympic Committee followed Canada’s lead, telling athletes to prepare for a 12-month postponement of the Tokyo Games.

After holding an executive board meeting on Monday, the AOC called the coronavirus pandemic an “untenable situation” and said it was impossible to assemble an Australian team for this summer.

Several other committees have begun to threaten boycotts if the Games go ahead as planned.

The Summer Games are set to take place from July 24 to August 9, with the Paralympics to follow on August 25. However, organisers have been besieged by calls to delay amid the global coronavirus pandemic.

Turn Tokyo 2020 into year-long 2021 Olympic Games festival

After Reuters reported on Sunday that the International Olympic Committee were quietly planning for a potential delay, the IOC set itself a four-week deadline to decide the fate of the Games following a meeting.

However, as IOC corporate communications and public affairs director Christian Klaue tweeted, cancellation is not on the agenda.

“The IOC is confident that it will have finalised the scenario planning for the Olympic Games within the next four weeks,” he wrote. “Cancellation of the Games would not solve any of the problems or help anybody. Therefore, cancellation is not on the agenda.”

Cancel, delay, modify? Tokyo 2020 is battling the odds

World Athletics added its voice to calls for a change to the calendar, with Sebastian Coe writing to IOC chairman Thomas Bach on Sunday.

“I write to you to request that the Games be moved,” the World Athletics chief wrote, addressing the impact of the coronavirus on the preparation of athletes.

Some 40 per cent of athletes are yet to qualify, with events to determine who makes the grade being cancelled, postponed and rescheduled.