Japan’s leading general practice organisation has thrown its weight behind calls to cancel the Tokyo Olympics, saying hospitals are already overwhelmed as the country battles a spike in coronavirus infections less than three months from the start of the games.

The Tokyo Medical Practitioners Association representing around 6,000 GPs says hospitals in the games’ host city “have their hands full and have almost no spare capacity”.

“We strongly request that the authorities convince the IOC (International Olympic Committee) that holding the Olympics is difficult and obtain its decision to cancel the games,” the association said in a 14 May open letter to the country’s prime minister that was posted to its website on Monday.

A jump in infections has stoked alarm amid a shortage of medical staff and hospital beds in some areas of the Japanese capital, promoting the government to extend a third state of emergency in Tokyo, and several other prefectures until 31 May.