Saturday, April 20, 2024

COVID-19 won’t disrupt rescheduled Tokyo Olympics: Official

But doubts are rife as a state of emergency has been declared for the Tokyo region, following a surge in coronavirus infections.

• January 18, 2021
Olympics rings used to tell the story.
Olympics rings used to tell the story.

Japanese authorities have assured that the 2020 Tokyo Olympics rescheduled for this summer would not be cancelled in light of the new wave of the coronavirus pandemic.

“We have decided the venues and schedule, and the people involved are working on preparations, including infection control,” the Kyodo news agency reported government spokesman Katsunobu Kato to have said Sunday.

Mr. Kato’s assurance comes after Japanese minister for administrative and regulatory reform, Taro Kono, was reported to have suggested that “anything can happen” and “it could go either way” with the Games which had earlier been postponed.

The government, local organisers and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) have said that the Games will be held as planned in compliance with COVID-19 best practices.

But doubts are rife as a state of emergency has been declared for the Tokyo region, following a surge in coronavirus infections.

A recent survey showed that 80 percent of Japanese believed the Tokyo Games would be postponed again or cancelled.

(dpa/NAN)

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