Paralympic symbol installed at Odaiba Marine Park

A giant Paralympic symbol was installed in Tokyo's Odaiba Marine Park on Friday with the Paralympic Games officially getting underway in less than a week. The Paralympics, which start on Aug. 24, will be held without spectators due to a rise in coronavirus infections in Japan.

The president of the International Paralympic Committee, Andrew Parsons, expressed his confidence Thursday that the games could be held safely, saying that the Tokyo Games will be the most important one in history.

Around 4,400 athletes are set to participate in the Paralympics. With the virus continuing to spread in the country, the Japanese government has extended a state of emergency for Tokyo, Osaka, Okinawa and three other regions until Sept. 12.