Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike said on Monday the Olympics must go ahead next year as a symbol of world unity in overcoming the novel coronavirus, even as her city grapples with stubborn spikes in cases.

The 2020 Olympics were scheduled to start this month but were postponed because of the coronavirus.

Koike has pledged to win public support for the Games.

"I want to host them as a symbol of the world coming together to overcome this tough situation and of strengthened bonds among humankind," Koike told Reuters in an online interview.

She declined to specify a deadline for deciding if the Games could go ahead.

Tokyo's jump in COVID-19 cases comes as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's government prepares to launch a campaign to promote domestic tourism, but that has raised concerns about spreading the virus outside the capital.

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