Japan marks 100 days until Olympics amid 'fourth wave' and woeful vaccine roll-out

Japan marked 100 days to the start of the Tokyo Olympics on Wednesday in a countdown overshadowed by a resurgence of coronavirus infections and a painfully slow vaccination roll out.

An apparent fourth wave of COVID-19 cases has picked up pace across Japan, with more than 4,000 new daily cases reported on Wednesday, the highest figure since January, while the nation’s total toll topped 500,000 at the weekend.

The slow pace of vaccinations is also under the spotlight, with just 1.1 million medical workers – accounting for less than one per cent of the population – receiving vaccines so far, while inoculations of the elderly started only on Monday.

Despite the challenges, Yuriko Koike, Tokyo Governor, reiterated on Wednesday her determination to suppress the spread of the virus and stage the event, during a low-key ceremony marking 100 days to the opening ceremony.

Unveiling two Tokyo Olympics mascots outside the city’s government offices to mark the occasion, Koike said: “The fight against an invisible enemy, the coronavirus, is behind the one-year postponement (of the Tokyo Olympics to 2021), and it has been a major ordeal for humanity. I would like us to overcome the fight against the coronavirus and make the Games a memorable event.”

Olympics organisers face a heavy litany of challenges in launching the games as scheduled on July 23, with the torch relay already pared back, overseas fans barred for the first time in the history of the games and fluctuating restrictions across the country.

“The situation is constantly shifting,” said Hidemasa Nakamura, the top organising committee official overseeing logistical preparations for the Games.

“Even in the last few months, the coronavirus situation has changed massively, and it will continue to do so, and it’s very challenging to continue preparations when we don’t know what the situation will be in the future.”

As cases continue to rise daily, a quasi-state of emergency is already in place in six prefectures across Japan, including urban hotspots Tokyo and Osaka.

Lack of support for the games among the Japanese public is also growing, with nearly 70 per cent of people believing that the games should be postponed again or cancelled entirely, according to a new poll by the Asahi Shimbun newspaper.

With tens of thousands of athletes and participants due to arrive from overseas, Tokyo 2020 organisers have released “playbooks” outlining anti-virus measures, which will be updated this month, in a bid to counter growing public concern.