TOKYO (AP) — A senior member of the International Olympic Committee has said he “can’t be certain” the postponed Tokyo Olympics will open in just over six months because of the surging pandemic in Japan and elsewhere.

The comments by Canadian IOC member Richard Pound to British broadcaster the BBC came as Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga declared a state of emergency on Thursday for Tokyo and surrounding prefectures.

“I can’t be certain because the ongoing elephant in the room would be the surges in the virus,” Pound said speaking about the future of the Tokyo Games.

Japan’s emergency order, which is largely voluntary, will be in force until the first week of February.

Tokyo reported a record of 2,447 new cases on Thursday, a 50% increase from the previous day — which was also a record day. Japan has attributed over 3,500 deaths to COVID-19, relatively low for a country of 126 million.