The Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee President Yoshiro Mori said on Tuesday that Tokyo Olympics will be held on July 23 this year with or without COVID-19 as planned.

The Games will not be put off to 2024 or even 2032 as the rumors said. The president added that the successful opening of the Games will be the symbol of conquering the virus, the “first light after the darkest night”.

According to Japanese state broadcaster NHK, a former opinion poll has shown that more than 80 percent of respondents believe the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games should be canceled or postponed again as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. In the opinion poll, 35.3 percent of people want the Tokyo Games canceled while 44.8 percent believe the games should be put off again.

The confirmed COVID-19 cases in Japan increased by 7,109 to reach 281,992 as of Saturday evening, and 44 new fatalities were announced.In Tokyo, the epicenter of Japan’s outbreak, 2,268 new cases were reported on Saturday, topping the 2,000 mark for the third straight day.