Tokyo 2020 organizers on Tuesday called on roadside spectators at the Games' torch relay to wear masks and practice social distancing to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

They also said torch relay staff must test negative for the coronavirus before being sent from Tokyo.

The 121-day torch relay is set to begin on March 25 at the J-Village training center in Fukushima, launching the build-up toward the July 23 start of the Games, postponed from 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"People are fine to watch from the side of the road but when they do so we would like them to practice distancing and avoid crowds," Toshiro Muto, CEO of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games Organizing Committee (TOGOC), said at a news conference.

"We want to ensure a safe torch relay not only for the runners, but for the people in the local communities who are kind enough to host it," he said.

Japanese star marathon racer Suguru Osako and women's World Cup-winning footballer Nahomi Kawasumi confirmed on Monday that they would not attend the opening ceremony of the torch relay next week.

Osako, who broke the Japanese national record several times, said that he is training in Kenya and will be unable to fly back home to run the relay on the opening day in Fukushima on March 25.

The 29-year-old, with a personal best of 2:05:29, will compete in his second Olympic Games this summer, following his debut four years ago in Rio.

Kawasumi, 35, who guided Japan to the Women's World Cup in 2011, said that it is difficult to make travel arrangements during the COVID-19 pandemic from the United States, where she is based.

Her national teammates Mana Iwabuchi and Saki Kumagai, both of whom play in Europe, also declined the chance to participate in the torch relay.

Members of the 2011 World Cup-winning team were set to carry the torch on the relay's first domestic leg, while Osako was listed as the third torch bearer.

The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games will be held from July 23 to August 8, followed by the Paralympics from August 24 to September 5, this year.

(With input from agencies)