COVID-19 safety is biggest challenge facing Tokyo Olympics says Japan govt

A Japanese governent minister said Wednesday that COVID-19 countermeasures remain the biggest obstacle to holding the 2021 Tokyo Summer Olympics.

At their seventh meetng to discuss COVID-19 safety fror the Olympics, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Kazuhiro Sugita said the Japanese government is working on reviewing their studies for countermeasures as athletes and tournament officials make their way to the country.

Local organizers and the International Olympic Committee pushed ahead Wednesday with plans to open the postponed Tokyo Olympics in just under three months, unveiling the latest set of rule books to show how the games can be held during a pandemic.

Tokyo, Osaka and several other areas came under a third state of emergency this week, and the death toll in Japan from COVID-19 has passed 10,000. The numbers are good by global standards, but poor compared with other places in Asia such as Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand or South Korea.

The state of emergency has closed department stores, theme parks, and bars and restaurants serving alcohol. It also has forced baseball games to be played in empty stadiums after having allowed fans for much of the pandemic.

Kazuhiro Sugita, Japanese Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary said he expects discussion to be made regarding the spectator during the five-party meeting between Tokyo 2020 organizing committee, Tokyo Metropolitan Government, the Government of Japan, the International Olympic Committee, and the International Paralympic Committee to be held later in the day.