Japan to impose COVID emergency in Tokyo, reflects Olympics without fans | Olympic Games News

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As the Japanese capital faces a new wave of business, pressure is mounting on Olympic organizers over spectators.

Japan is set to declare a state of emergency in Tokyo to contain the city’s latest wave of coronavirus, which will continue even if it hosts the Olympics, a key minister said on Thursday, as organizers consider to ban all spectators from the event.

Expert medical advisers have said for weeks that missing spectators at the Games will be the least risky option amid widespread fear that the influx of thousands of athletes and officials will fuel a new wave of athletes and officials. infections.

Organizers have already banned foreign spectators and set a cap on domestic fans at 50 percent of its capacity, up to a maximum of 10,000 people. Talks to finalize spectator restrictions are expected Thursday or Friday.

The President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Thomas Bach, who arrives in Tokyo on Thursday to oversee the final stage of preparations, will chair the talks.

Japanese Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura, who is leading the government’s response to the coronavirus, said a state of emergency in Tokyo is expected to begin on July 12 and remain in effect until August 22.

The Olympics are scheduled to start on July 23 and last for two weeks. They will be followed by the Paralympic Games.

The decision to impose a state of emergency follows an increase in cases in Tokyo to their highest level since mid-May. The Japanese capital is currently subject to somewhat less strict “quasi-emergency” measures.

This decision is expected to be formalized later Thursday and followed by a press conference by Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga.

Areas neighboring Tokyo where some Olympic events are also expected to take place, such as Chiba and Kanagawa, are expected to remain under “near emergency” until August 22.

Emphasizing the last-minute nature of preparations, organizers told Olympic sponsors on Wednesday that they anticipate two scenarios when Tokyo falls under a state of emergency: not having spectators or setting a limit of 5,000 spectators, said a source close to the case. Reuters news agency.

In the no-spectator scenario, the opening and closing ceremonies, as well as all sporting events, will likely take place without fans, including tickets awarded to sponsors, organizers told the companies in online meetings.

If the number of spectators is capped at 5,000 per venue, tickets allocated to Olympic sponsors would be cut in half, and organizers also expect any session after 9 p.m. (12 p.m. GMT) to be without spectators, the official said. source.

There have been persistent protests against the holding of the Games, with the issue blamed for a relatively poor performance by the ruling party in the recent municipal elections. [Kimimasa Mayama/EPA]

The organizing committee did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

Until this week, officials have insisted they can safely host the Games with a few spectators, but a setback of the ruling party a Tokyo assembly election on Sunday, which some Suga allies attributed to public anger over the Olympics, forced the change of course, sources said.

Japan will hold parliamentary elections later this year and the government’s insistence that the Games – already postponed for a year due to the pandemic – to take place could cost it support at the polls, they said.



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