Previously saying that the 2021 Olympics will happen ‘with or without Covid‘, it’s since been reported that the Japanese government plans to ban foreign spectators from attending this year’s event.
Determined for this year’s Olympics to go ahead, officials have been brainstorming ways that would allow the competition to go ahead in spite of ongoing public health concerns – with one proposal being to ban foreign spectators from attending the event.
According to the Kyodo news agency, “officials with knowledge of the matter” yesterday stated that the government has decided to stage the Tokyo Olympics without overseas spectators.
The government and the Japanese organising committee of the summer games are expected to hold a remote meeting with the International Olympic Committee and two other bodies in the coming weeks, with a formal decision on the matter to follow shortly after.
Claiming that the government has concluded that welcoming fans from abroad is “not possible” given concerns among the Japanese public over new international variants of the virus, it’s believed that the opening ceremony will also be held without spectators present.
Speaking to reporters last week, the Kyodo news agency quotes Seiko Hashimoto, president of the Japanese committee, as saying:
“We would really like people from around the world to come to a full stadium, but unless we are prepared to accept them and the medical situation in Japan is perfect, it will cause a great deal of trouble also to visitors from overseas.”
Already postponed by a year due to the pandemic, the Olympics are due to take place between July 23rd and August 8th this year, with the Paralympics to follow from August 24th to September 5th. The organising committee has since said that a decision will be announced before the end of this month.
