On the other hand, there is a dramatic increase in cases and new outbreaks of COVID-19 in different countries on different continents. This led the Executive Board to the conclusion that the IOC needs to take the next step in its scenario-planning.

After the Executive Board meeting, IOC President Thomas Bach wrote to the global athlete community to provide them with an explanation of the IOC's approach.

In the letter, Bach stated once more that safeguarding the health of everyone involved and contributing to contain the virus is the fundamental principle, and said: "Human lives take precedence over everything, including the staging of the Games. The IOC wants to be part of the solution. Therefore we have made it our leading principle to safeguard the health of everyone involved, and to contribute to containing the virus.

"I wish, and we all are working for this, that the hope so many athletes, NOCs and IFs from all five continents have expressed will be fulfilled: that at the end of this dark tunnel we are all going through together, not knowing how long it is, the Olympic flame will be a light at the end of this tunnel." he wrote.

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