Jill Biden leading US delegation at Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - US first lady Jill Biden will lead the American delegation to the Tokyo Olympics for the opening ceremony, the White House announced Tuesday.

Biden will travel to Japan to take part in the ceremony on July 23, the White House said in a brief statement.

The Games had been delayed from 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic, and Japan is now in the midst of a state of emergency that will prevent fans from attending events in-person.

Japan has reported 820,715 cases, including 14,955 deaths, since the pandemic began in December 2019.