Greek actress Xanthi Georgiou, left, playing the role of the High Priestess, holds the torch during the flame lighting ceremony at the closed Ancient Olympia site, birthplace of the ancient Olympics in southern Greece, March 12, 2020. (ARIS MESSINIS / AFP)

ANCIENT OLYMPIA, GREECE - The Tokyo 2020 Olympics torch was lit by the rays of the sun in ancient Olympia on Thursday to mark the final step toward the July 24-Aug 9 Games, currently in question because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Actress Xanthi Georgiou, in the role of high priestess, used a parabolic mirror in a scaled-down ceremony closed to spectators at the site of the ancient Greek Olympics to ignite the torch and mark the start of a torch relay. The torch will be handed over to Tokyo Games organizers in Athens on March 19.

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The Tokyo Games are delivered by an all-star, all-Japan team with outstanding support and cooperation on all levels of government

Thomas Bach, President, IOC

Tokyo Games organizers as well as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) have insisted the Games will go ahead as planned amid mounting speculation that they could be canceled or postponed as the virus spreads rapidly across the globe.

“Nineteen weeks before the opening ceremony of the games we are strengthened in our commitment by many ... organizations around the world taking significant measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus,” IOC President Thomas Bach said.

“The Tokyo Games are delivered by an all-star, all-Japan team with outstanding support and cooperation on all levels of government,” he told a small crowd of invited guest on a sun-drenched morning inside the ancient stadium, nestled in the western Peloponnese.

The ceremony was the first since 1984 to be held without spectators on the grassy slopes of the stadium, and only a few dozen accredited officials were allowed to watch the lighting at the nearby Temple of Hera.

The World Health Organization (WHO) described the coronavirus outbreak as a pandemic for the first time, prompting more countries to announce drastic measures.

Greek actress Xanthi Georgiou (R) performing as the high priestess holds the Olympic flame at the Temple of Hera during a dress rehearsal of the lighting ceremony of the Olympic flame in ancient Olympia, on March 11, 2020. (PHOTO / AFP)

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US President Donald Trump suspended travel from Europe, except for the UK, for 30 days starting Friday, and hard-hit Italy tightened its lockdown.

As of Wednesday, Japan had 620 cases and 15 deaths, excluding people on a cruise ship that was quarantined near Yokohama last month, according to the health ministry. Experts say the tally may be deceptively low due to the limited number of tests in Japan compared with many other countries.

Greek actress Xanthi Georgiou, playing the role of the High Priestess, lights up the torch during the flame lighting ceremony at the closed Ancient Olympia site, birthplace of the ancient Olympics in southern Greece, March 12, 2020. (ARIS MESSINIS / AFP)