Tokyo Olympics to be forced behind closed doors as Japan’s government declare state of emergency
Tokyo Olympics set to be forced behind closed doors after Japan’s government declare new state of emergency due to a Covid surge, just two weeks before the Games start
The Japanese government are set to declare another state of emergency in Tokyo covering the duration of the Olympics, increasing the prospect of all spectators being banned.
Japan’s capital city is currently under a quasi-state of emergency, which is due to expire on Sunday. But just two weeks out from the Games, the country’s strongest measures are now expected to be reintroduced up to August 22 because of a spike in coronavirus cases.
That decision, to be announced on Thursday, will have a major knock-on effect on the Olympics, which runs from July 23 to August 8.
The Tokyo Olympics are increasingly likely to take place behind closed doors this summer
Japan’s Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga is set to declare another state of emergency for Tokyo
The current spectator policy allows venues to be filled up to 50 per cent of capacity with a maximum of 10,000 domestic supporters.
But with a fourth state of emergency now set to be declared, organisers will meet to discuss a further limit on crowd numbers, with a complete ban on all fans in Tokyo being seriously considered. Different rules could apply to events taking place outside of the host city.
Shigeru Omi, the government’s top health adviser, said ‘it is preferable that the events be held without spectators’ and that ‘images of spectators would be sending out a contradictory message’.
The final stages of the Olympic torch relay have already been taken off public roads, with torch-lighting ceremonies held instead.
Tokyo confirmed 920 new cases of Covid-19 on Wednesday, the highest since May 13.
