International Participation in Tokyo Olympics in Jeopardy

Foreign participation in the July 23-August 8 Tokyo Olympics is in jeopardy amid fears of further spread of Covid-19 in Japan, the Organizing Committee announced today.

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The decision on the possible entry of non-Japanese visitors to the country for the event under the five rings will be taken at the end of this month due to the priority given by the Japanese government to the safety of its population, said the president of the entity in charge of developing the great event, Seiko Hashimoto, at a press conference.

The hosts will also define by the end of April how many people will enter the venues of the Olympic competitions before the torch relay begins on March 25 due to the need for fans, hotels, and tour operators to be able to plan.

Some Japanese media outlets have reported that the government has already opted for an event without foreign spectators.

"We really need to think about the mutant strains of the virus," said the former elite athlete and former minister in charge of the Tokyo Olympics.

Whether or not to allow foreign travelers to enter Japan for the Games will be made based on health experts' opinions and the situation of Covid-19 infections in Japan and other countries, the Tokyo 2020 chief said.

Japan has kept its borders closed to foreign travelers for months as a preventive measure against the pathogen's spread. The final decision will consider the International Olympic Committee's opinions, Tokyo and central Japan's governments, and the organizers.

The capital remains under a state of emergency, with a capacity limited to five thousand people for sporting events. This measure expires on March 7 but should be extended for two weeks.

According to a new survey of some 2,300 Japanese published Wednesday by the Japanese newspaper Yomiuri, 58 percent of respondents said they did not want the Olympics, fearing an increase in contagions.

In addition to the Olympic Games, the Asian nation plans to host the Paralympic Games from August 24 to September 15.