Japan Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga is still not sure if fans can or will be allowed at the Tokyo Olympics due to rising COVID-19 cases.
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Japan Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga is still not sure if fans can or will be allowed at the Tokyo Olympics. This is because of a growing concern about rising COVID-19 cases in the city. It’s also worth noting that there are only three weeks left for the Games to start. Cases in Tokyo have been rising on a steady basis in recent times. This, in turn, has seen a rise in fears that the Games would help the spread of the coronavirus. Experts warn the delta strain could start a whole new wave of infections. Thus, another state of emergency might just be the need of the hour. And the Games are starting on July 23.
“I have made clear that having no spectators is a possibility,” Suga said as he noted Tokyo’s rising caseloads. “We will take steps as we prioritize safety and security of the people.”
Tokyo on Wednesday confirmed 673 new cases, the 12th straight day of a weekly increase.
Dr. Mitsuo Kaku, a medical advisor for the Tokyo government, believes the city is turning into a “critical situation” as the upsurge is triggered by the delta variant.
Experts say lifting the measures is not an option given the virus situation at the moment. In fact, daily cases could exceed 1,000 before the Olympics.
To make things worse, the rise in cases can quickly multiply during the Games if measures are delayed.
The Japan governmen has asked India and other five other countries to test athletes daily before they depart for Tokyo. India is one of the five countries hit gravely by the virus.
Currently, all overseas athletes are being asked to take the test twice during the four-day period. The Olympics will start on July 23 after a year’s delay due to the pandemic.
The new rule applies to athletes from India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan from July 1.
Olympics Minister Tamayo Marukawa said a member of the Ugandan team who tested positive upon arrival had the Delta variant. This has raised a new concern for the Games.
As per the new guidelines, Indian athletes traveling to Tokyo for the Games will only need to upload negative RT-PCR test reports for 96 hours and 72 hours prior to their departure. The news came from the delegation’s deputy chef-de-mission, Dr Prem Verma.
These two reports have to be obtained from the accredited diagnostic centres and uploaded in an approved format as directed by the Games’ Organising Committee (OC). These accredited labs have been suggested by the OC in its Tokyo 2020 Playbook.
