British Medical Journal: "Tokyo Olympics Should Be Canceled Even Now"

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] As evaluations emerge that the Japanese government has effectively failed in COVID-19 prevention, health experts are warning that the Tokyo Olympics should be canceled even at this stage.

The British Medical Journal (BMJ), a global medical academic journal, published an editorial on the 14th (local time) titled "Reconsider Hosting the Summer Olympics and Paralympics," criticizing that "Japan is failing to control the virus properly due to limited testing capacity and slow vaccination amid a lack of political leadership," and recommended canceling the Tokyo Olympics even now.

BMJ pointed out, "Unlike other Asian countries, Japan still cannot control COVID-19," and stated, "Insisting on hosting the Olympics for Japan's internal political and economic purposes while ignoring scientific and moral principles contradicts Japan's commitment to contributing to global health and human safety."

Furthermore, BMJ warned that at a critical time when the world is fighting the spread of variant viruses and striving to increase vaccine distribution, gathering athletes and officials from various countries without quarantine poses a high risk of virus resurgence not only in Japan but globally.

In particular, many overlook the risks faced by athletes with disabilities, i.e., Paralympic participants, and regarding vaccination, prioritizing athletes over other high-risk groups for the sake of hosting the Olympics raises ethical concerns.

BMJ also questioned whether the Olympics can guarantee fairness to athletes, given that qualifying matches for the Tokyo Olympics have been suspended or postponed, emphasizing, "It is time to reconsider hosting the Olympics and instead reach an international consensus on the conditions under which future international sports events should be held."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.