87% of Japanese Citizens Fear COVID-19 Spread Due to Tokyo Olympics Hosting

On the 15th, a sign meaning "Report if you experience any health issues" was posted at the Tokyo Olympic Press Center. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] A survey found that most Japanese citizens are concerned that the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics might lead to the spread of COVID-19.

According to a telephone poll conducted by Kyodo News on the 17th and 18th targeting men and women aged 18 and older nationwide, 87% responded that they "feel anxious" about the risk of COVID-19 spreading due to the Tokyo Olympics.

In this survey, the approval rating of the Yoshihide Suga Cabinet dropped by 8.1 percentage points from last month to 35.9%. This is the lowest since the Suga Cabinet took office in September last year, according to Kyodo News polls. On the other hand, the percentage of respondents who said they "do not support" the cabinet was 49.8%, the highest since the cabinet's inception.

Meanwhile, regarding the Japanese government's fourth declaration of a COVID-19 "state of emergency" in Tokyo, only 29.4% responded that they "think it is effective." Meanwhile, 67.9% answered that they "do not think it is effective."

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