The Olympic and Paralympic Games have been postponed until summer 2021 at the latest due to the coronavirus pandemic.

A joint statement from the International Olympic Committee and the Tokyo 2020 organising committee confirmed the news, following a conference call on Tuesday.

The Games – which had been due to get under way on July 24 – will not now take place in 2020, but will happen no later than the summer of 2021.

The International Paralympic Committee said the decision was “absolutely the right thing to do”.

IPC president Andrew Parsons added: “Sport is not the most important thing right now – preserving human life is. It is essential therefore that all steps are taken to try and limit the spread of this disease.

“At a time when many major communities around the world are in lockdown, with workplaces and shops closed and people urged not to leave their own homes, continuing to pursue the dream of the Tokyo 2020 Games happening this year does not make sense; postponement is the only logical option.”