Spectators receive Olympic ban when Tokyo declares coronavirus emergency report

By Antoni Slodkowski and Eimi Yamamitsu

TOKYO (Reuters) -Olympic organizers will ban all spectators from the Games, the Asahi newspaper said on Thursday that Japan was ready to declare a state of emergency in Tokyo to prevent a new wave of emergency during the organization of the event. coronavirus infections.

Organizers decided to formally make a decision about the audience in talks between the five parties on Thursday, the newspaper said, citing people involved in the Games.

The ban on spectators is the latest blow to the tumultuous Olympics, which has already been delayed by a year due to a pandemic and has suffered numerous setbacks, including excessive budget investments.

Medical experts have said for weeks that not having spectators at the Games would be the most dangerous option amid widespread public concern, as the arrival of thousands of athletes and officials will fuel a new wave of infection.

“I accept, of course,‘ I don’t have an audience, ’but the worries will never go away, as long as we have a big event, like the Games, with the holidays and the holiday season,” said Kyoto University professor Yuki Furuse, a coronavirus expert working with the government group.

Furuse recently projected that new daily cases in Tokyo could reach 1,000 in July and 2,000 in August, increasing the risk of hospitals in the capital’s region being left without beds.

Organizers have already banned foreign audiences and have now set a 50% capacity limit on domestic audiences, up to 10,000 people.

Those who want to help athletes should be applauded instead of cheered or sung. Plans for some public viewing sites have been canceled, and companies, wary of public opposition, have been hesitant about advertising related to the Games, exacerbating the humbler atmosphere in the Japanese capital.

The talks will be scheduled for 20:00 (1100 GMT) by Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), who arrived in Tokyo on Thursday. Other participants include Tokyo and national governments and Paralympic officials.

LOCAL INFECTIONS HAVE INCREASED

Japan has not had any COVID-19 explosive devices seen in many other countries, but has had more than 810,000 cases and 14,900 dead.

The slow spread of vaccines means that a quarter of the population has received at least one COVID-19 vaccine.

The establishment of a new state of emergency in Tokyo would come when the capital announced 896 new infections on Thursday, next to the highs last seen in mid-May.

Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura, who is in charge of the government’s response to the coronavirus, said the new cuts will start on Monday and last until August 22nd.

The games are scheduled for July 23 to August 8.

Tokyo is under more “almost emergency” limits. Under the new restrictions, restaurants will be asked to stop drinking alcohol, Nishimura said.

Areas near Tokyo, where some Olympic events, such as Chiba and Kanagawa, are to be held, will be under “almost emergency” until August 22nd.

AUDIENCE, SPONSORS

Emphasizing the last-minute nature of the preparations, organizers have presented several audience stages to the Olympic sponsors until Wednesday, according to a source familiar with the situation.

Sponsors were told that when there were no spectators all sports and opening and closing events would likely be held without fans, meaning that tickets allocated to sponsors could not be used.

The lack of crowds could further tighten the gaming budget https://www.reuters.com/article/us-olympics-2020-coronavirus-money-factb-idCAKCN2DY2MI, and already approximately $ 15.4 billion has exploded with the card. Revenues of about $ 815 million are expected to be a huge success.

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

Until this week, officials stressed that the Games could be safely organized with some spectators, but when the ruling party backed down on Sunday’s Tokyo assembly election, some Suga allies blamed public outrage over the Olympics, forcing the change. sources said.

Japan will hold parliamentary elections this year and the government’s insistence that the Games – which was delayed last year when the virus spread around the world – should go ahead this year will cost the polls.