Tokyo Olympics Ultimately with Spectators?..."Considering a Maximum Capacity of 10,000"

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] The Japanese government has expressed its intention to hold the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, opening on the 23rd of next month, with spectators.

On the 17th, NHK reported, citing Tokyo Olympic officials, that the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Organizing Committee has entered final coordination to hold the events with spectators. It is known that they are considering accommodating up to 10,000 spectators. However, this is conditional on the lifting of the COVID-19 state of emergency in the municipalities where the venues, including Tokyo, are located.

To this end, the Japanese government has decided not to extend the COVID-19 state of emergency currently in effect in 10 regions nationwide, including Tokyo and Osaka, beyond the 20th. However, Okinawa has decided to extend the state of emergency.

Next week, the Japanese government, Tokyo Metropolitan Government, International Olympic Committee (IOC), and International Paralympic Committee (IPC) plan to hold a meeting to make an official decision.

Previously, Japan decided not to allow foreign spectators at the Tokyo Olympics due to concerns over the spread of COVID-19. However, the decision on whether to allow domestic spectators had been postponed, and despite opposition from the medical community, they ultimately decided to accept spectators. Since foreign spectators will not be admitted, and a large deficit is expected for this Tokyo Olympics, this move aims to reduce the deficit as much as possible. So far, about 42% of Tokyo Olympic tickets have been sold. It is also known that some venues have already sold more than 10,000 tickets.

The Japanese government's insistence on holding the games with spectators has also raised concerns about a resurgence of COVID-19. According to estimates by the Asahi Shimbun, about 700,000 people are expected to visit the venues and surrounding areas during the event. In this case, it is pointed out that the number of COVID-19 infections could increase by about 10,000.

The Tokyo Olympic Organizing Committee and the IOC have sparked controversy by announcing that they will require athletes to sign a consent form stating that "the athlete is responsible if they die from COVID-19 or heatstroke during the Olympic period." Christophe Dubi, IOC Tokyo Olympic Executive Director, explained, "This means there are risks that the IOC cannot bear because various situations may arise."

The Asahi Shimbun warned, "The world's attention is focused on the Tokyo Olympics," and "If COVID-19 resurges because of the Olympics, Prime Minister Suga will have to take political responsibility."

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