The 2020 Tokyo Olympics will be postponed due to the growing spread of COVID-19, according to International Olympic Committee member Dick Pound.

Pound — a previous Canadian Olympic swimmer —  told USA Today that, "On the basis of the information the IOC has, postponement has been decided. The parametres going forward have not been determined, but the Games are not going to start on 24 July."

The timing of the news is surprising, considering that a previous IOC press release on Monday said that "a final decision has not been reached at this time."

The Olympic flame has been lit. #Tokyo2020 🔥#OlympicTorchRelay #UnitedByEmotion pic.twitter.com/3ofUWWMeI2

— #Tokyo2020 (@Tokyo2020) March 12, 2020

Both Pound and the IOC said details of when the Tokyo Olympics will happen will be worked out over the next four weeks.

The news comes just one day after Canada was the first country to announce that it would not be sending athletes to compete in the 2020 Olympics, shortly followed by Australia.

Notably, the United States did not throw its support behind Canada, with President Trump announcing that the country would "be guided by the wishes of Prime Minister Abe of Japan."

We will be guided by the wishes of Prime Minister Abe of Japan, a great friend of the United States and a man who has done a magnificent job on the Olympic Venue, as to attending the Olympic Games in Japan. He will make the proper decision!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 23, 2020

Germany, Brazil and Norway have also urged the IOC to postpone the Olympics due to the growing spread of COVID-19.

This would be the first time in history that the Olympics have been suspended, although the Games were previously cancelled during World War I and World War II.