Tokyo: The under-construction Athletes Village for the Tokyo Olympics could be used as a temporary hospital for coronavirus patients.
Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike has been talking about the possibility of occupying the massive development on Tokyo Bay, which is to house up to 11,000 Olympic and 4,400 Paralympic athletes and staff during the games.
The complex, which will eventually include 24 buildings, is expected to remain unoccupied with the Olympics delayed for 16 months.
Koike said the Athletes Village was "one of the options, but the village is not finished yet. We are talking about places that are available even today or tomorrow and checking a possibility one by one.
Through Thursday, Japan had reported about 3,300 cases of coronavirus with 74 deaths, according to the health ministry. Tokyo reported 97 new cases on Thursday with officials looking for more beds in the capital as totals rise.
