Overseas Spectators Will Not Be Permitted at Tokyo Olympics
Fans from overseas will not be permitted to attend the Summer Olympics in Japan, said organizers on Saturday. The announcement is a major concession from organizers who are determined to carry on with the games despite the ongoing pandemic and waning public support.
The International Olympic Committee announced the news after an online meeting with Japanese and Tokyo government officials and local organizers. IOC president Thomas Bach described the situation as a “difficult decision” that requires sacrifices from everybody.
The Tokyo games were originally scheduled for July 2020 but were pushed back a year because of the coronavirus. Now they are scheduled to begin on July 23rd with a whole host of changes and restrictions that will make for an Olympic games unlike any other.
Seiko Hashimoto, president of the Tokyo committee, acknowledged these differences in a press conference following the announcement. “The Tokyo 2020 Games will be completely different from the past, but the essence remains the same,” Ms. Hashimoto said. “Athletes will put everything on the line and inspire people with their outstanding performances.”
Speaking of athletes, more than 10,000 of them and tens of thousands of coaches and support staff are expected to attend the games. Per the guidelines outlined in the IOC’s pandemic playbook, athletes will not be required to be vaccinated or to quarantine upon arrival, but they will be subject to strict masking and social distancing restrictions throughout the games. Fans won’t be required to be vaccinated either.
According to NBC News, nearly one million tickets to the Olympics and the Paralympics have already been sold to international fans. Organizers have promised that ticket holders can receive refunds through authorized ticket resellers, but oftentimes resellers attach huge processing fees to ticket sales. Whether or not the fees will be refunded is left for the companies to decide.
Meanwhile, Japan has already spent over $15.4 billion to organize and reschedule the games, making it the most expensive Olympics of all time.
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