Japan 'planning to ban overseas Olympic spectators over Covid fears'
Japan's government is planning to stop overseas spectators coming to the Summer Olympics due to worries they will spread the coronavirus, a report said on Wednesday, as many Japanese remain opposed to holding the Games during the pandemic.
The final decision would be made this month after talks with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and other parties, the Mainichi newspaper reported, citing multiple unnamed sources.
The government would continue to consider whether to accept spectators from within Japan, including the number allowed into venues, the Mainichi added.
The report came as the local organising committee was set to host a meeting on Wednesday with officials from the IOC, the International Paralympic Committee and the Tokyo and national governments.
The question of whether to allow spectators into venues was top of the agenda and organisers have previously said they would make a decision by March.
A Yomiuri newspaper poll showed on Wednesday that, if the Games are to go ahead as scheduled, 91 per cent of people in Japan want spectators kept to a minimum or not allowed at all.
The poll - conducted between Jan 18 and Feb 25 - showed 70 per cent of respondents said they were "interested in the Olympics", but 58 per cent said they did not want them to be held this year because of fears over Covid-19.
The 58 per cent in opposition was, however, about 20 percentage points lower than earlier opinion polls.
The Tokyo Olympic Games were postponed last year because of the pandemic and rescheduled to take place this year from July 23.
A survey by global consultancy Kekst CNC published on Wednesday showed similar rates of majority opposition to the Games going ahead in Japan, at 56 per cent, as well as in Britain and Germany, at 55 per cent and 52 per cent respectively.
In France and Sweden, more people opposed than approved, while in the United States, respondents were split at one-third between those who agreed and disagreed that the Games should go ahead, according to the survey.
While coronavirus infection numbers are low in Japan compared with the United States and many European countries, the greater Tokyo metropolitan area remains in a state of emergency, with restrictions in place for spectator numbers for big sporting and cultural events, as well as closing times for bars and restaurants. The country remains closed to non-resident foreigners.
A poll published last month showed nearly two-thirds of Japanese companies also oppose holding the Games as planned, swinging from the previous survey showing most in favour.
Japan has so far confirmed 431,250 coronavirus cases and 7,931 deaths as of Monday.
Why was the Olympics delayed?
As the coronavirus pandemic spread across the world in early 2020 and pressure mounted on the International Olympic Committee, a decision was finally made on March 24, 2020, to postpone the Tokyo Games - the first time since the Second World War they had been moved or delayed.
A number of different dates were informally proposed for the rearranged 2021 Games, but the new schedule was confirmed a week after the initial postponement: Olympics on July 23 to August 8 and Paralympics on August 24 to September 5.
What are the financial implications?
The financial considerations of a postponed Olympics are astronomical. Tokyo 2020 was already shaping up to be the most expensive Summer Olympics ever staged, but costs are reported to have increased by over £2bn due to measures needed to prevent the spread of coronavirus. The total figure now stands at around £11bn. The IOC is known to have insurance cover, underwritten by Lloyd’s of London.
From a British perspective, the pandemic and 12-month delay meant two major funding concerns: sports at serious risk of collapse due to total lack of revenue streams, and the continuation of the high-performance system that funds elite Olympic medal contenders. At the start of July, the Government then provided assurances that funding levels would be extended for another year.
Are the Games still going ahead though?
The IOC insists the postponed Games are currently still happening despite the ongoing uncertainty around the world with the pandemic.
The stakes could hardly be bigger for the IOC, both from a PR and commercial point of view. IOC president Thomas Bach was accused of being “tone deaf” last year when the IOC was perceived as being too slow to accept the inevitable and postpone the Games.
With a recent poll suggesting around 80 per cent of people in Japan not wanting the Games to be held this summer, and coronavirus cases still high across the world, organisers are desperate to prove they can hold the Games safely in Tokyo and have been pressing ahead with planning for such an occasion.
In February they published their first Playbook of guidance, which is specifically aimed at international federations and officials, with further editions coming for athletes and media. Each specific Playbook will be updated in the coming months.
Anyone breaking the myriad of rules designed to combat coronavirus risk being expelled from the Games, including athletes.
What differences can we expect to the Olympics?
In short, a lot. On top of the fact fans might not even be allowed in, almost everything else will take place under restrictions.
As revealed by The Telegraph, athletes have been told that they should limit their contact with other athletes and maintain a distance of two metres “at all times” except when that is not possible, such as during competition. There are also strict limits on their movements and they, and other officials, must follow a pre-arranged and approved 14-day activity plan that involves limiting all activity to “what is required in order to carry out your role”. That means avoiding public transport, social interaction and crowded places as well as limits on the amount of time athletes and support staff stay in the village.
Face masks for everyone must also be worn at all times outside of competition, unless people are outside and more than two metres away from someone and local contact tracing smartphone apps must be used. Rooms and indoor spaces will be ventilated every 30 minutes.
