North Korea became the first country to opt out of the Tokyo Olympics 2020 due to fears surrounding the coronavirus pandemic.
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North Korea became the first country to opt out of the Tokyo Olympics due to fears around the coronavirus pandemic. North Korea’s decision highlights once again the challenges Japan face in terms of staging a global sporting event amid a pandemic that is still ongoing. A website run by North Korea’s Sports Ministry said their national Olympic Committee decided not to participate in the Games to protect athletes from the “world public health crisis caused by COVID-19”. The decision was reportedly taken on March 25. Japan’s Olympic Committee has noted that the country have yet to officially notify them on their new stance.
The pandemic has already caused the Tokyo Olympics, which were originally scheduled for 2020, to be pushed back by a year. Organizers have been working hard to put in place adequate safety measures for the Games. This includes banning international spectators in order to ensure the safety of athletes and residents.
? Watch the best moments from Day 12 of the @OlympicFlame‘s journey as it visited the streets of Aichi Prefecture. ?
? https://t.co/SJgEBaftMa#OlympicTorchRelay #StrongerTogether pic.twitter.com/SqEyXFLQNF
— #Tokyo2020 (@Tokyo2020) April 6, 2021
However, concerns remain in place that the Olympics could worsen the spread of the virus. To make matters worse, Japan has seen a rising caseload and a slow vaccine rollout.
This in turn has raised questions about whether or not the Games should be held at all. As things stand, the event is set to go ahead as planned.
Yet while the Games will most likely go ahead, that doesn’t mean it will be due to popular demand. In fact, the Games are now hugely unpopular in Japan.
Surveys suggest that nearly 80% of Japanese want the event to either be cancelled or postponed again. To make matters worse, a new variant of the virus is threatening to cause a fourth wave in the country.
The new variant is reportedly more infectious and may be resistant to vaccines. Infections in the city of Osaka have led to targeted lockdown measures.
Japan has confirmed nearly 4,90,000 cases since the pandemic began, with 9,277 deaths.
