Beijing Olympic organizers are down scaling the torch relay after Monday’s devastating earthquake in Sichuan Province China.

I was surprised to see initial reports stating that the relay would continue as normal. The torch is scheduled to arrive in Chongqing on June 13 and then moves to Sichuan two days later.

“Right now we will continue to monitor the disaster situation,” Li Zhanjun, director of the Beijing Olympic Media Center, said. “If there are no further developments in the disaster situation, then it will not affect the torch relay.”

Organizers are obviously concerned the impact the earthquake will have on tourists concerns on coming to China for the Olympics.

“What I want to say to foreign visitors is that the Olympic games are safe, Beijing is safe and China is safe,” said Zhang Jian, director of the organizing committee’s project management office.

The toll from the earthquake continues to rise