The official Tokyo Olympics sponsor, Japan's Asahi Shimbun, called for the Games to be canceled on Wednesday, calling the event "a threat to health."

The newspaper urged Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga to "make a calm, realistic assessment of the situation and decide to postpone this summer's Olympics" in an editorial.

The call comes as popular resistance grows in Japan, with polls indicating that a majority of people oppose the Games taking place in July and August.

Despite organizers' assurances that the event will proceed safely, the editorial stated that it "cannot tolerate the risk" of hosting it.

It also accused IOC officials, including vice-president John Coates, of being "self-righteous" and "clearly out of touch" with the Japanese people.

When asked last week if the Games could go on even if there was a virus outbreak, Coates replied, "absolutely yes."

The new state of emergency in Tokyo and other parts of Japan is set to be extended this week until June 20.

The Asahi editorial said, "Saying 'yes' without showing any clear grounds for it once again hammered home the self-righteous picture of the IOC."

It comes less than two months before the Games begin, and only days after the US State Department released a travel alert for Japan due to possible virus outbreaks.

The White House said Tuesday that it still supports the Games, with press secretary Jen Psaki saying, "Our stance on the Olympics has not changed."

“The organizers have set out very detailed entry and movement rules and procedures in order to ensure the safety of all involved,” she said.

According to a research institute, canceling the Games would cost Japan about 1.8 trillion yen ($16.6 billion).

However, the Nomura Research Institute cautioned that if an outbreak of infections results in a new state of emergency, the country could experience even more economic harm as a result of hosting the Games.