The world's oldest person, a 118-year-old Japanese woman, has decided not to take part in the torch relay for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics over pandemic fears, an official at her nursing home said on Wednesday.

Kane Tanaka, who was awarded a Guinness World Record, was slated to be one of the relay participants in Fukuoka in southern Japan, which will start on May 11, said the official.

"We received an email from her family which said she wanted to withdraw from the relay as she and her family were concerned about spreading...