TOKYO — The International Olympic Committee and Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe have concluded the Tokyo 2020 Olympics must be postponed, and held no later than the summer of 2021, the IOC and Tokyo 2020 organisers said on Tuesday.

After a call with IOC president Thomas Bach, Abe said the July 24-August 9 event would be rescheduled for the summer of 2021 at the latest.

"In the present circumstances and based on the information provided by the WHO today, the IOC President and the Prime Minister of Japan have concluded that the Games... in Tokyo must be rescheduled to a date beyond 2020 but not later than summer 2021," the IOC said in a statement.

"To safeguard the health of the athletes, everybody involved in the Olympic Games and the international community," it said. — Agencies