Threat to Olympic torch relay as Japan starts vaccination rollout

The Games are due to begin in July but Shimane prefecture says it might pull out of the prestigious pre-Games event

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The head of a prefecture in Japan has said the area is considering pulling out of the Olympic torch relay, as the nation became the latest major economy to begin its vaccine rollout.

Tatsuya Maruyama, the governor of Shimane prefecture, said on Wednesday that it could withdraw from the key Olympic event and has called for the Tokyo 2020 Games to be cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.