Haruyuki Takahashi, one of the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee's executive board members, said the Games could be delayed for one or two years. Takahashi said canceling the Games would have significant financial ramifications. 

"I don't think the Games could be canceled. It'd be a delay," Takahashi told The Wall Street Journal. "The International Olympic Committee (IOC) would be in trouble if there's a cancellation. American TV rights alone provide them with a huge amount."

Kazuhiro Tateda, an infectious disease expert of the Japanese government, said the fast-spreading virus could be sticking around a lot longer than many have anticipated, despite the upcoming warmer season.