TOKYO — Fans were banned from the pandemic-postponed Tokyo Olympics which will open in two weeks, following a state of emergency on Thursday, Olympic Minister Tamayo Marukawa told the Japanese news agency Kyodo.
The ban was announced by the International Olympic Committee and Japanese organizers, reducing the games to a made-for-TV event.
Fans from aboard were banned months ago, and the new measures announced by Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga will clear venues around Tokyo — indoor and outdoor — of any fans at all.
The emergency declaration made for a rude arrival in Japan for IOC President Thomas Bach, who landed in Tokyo on Thursday just hours before the new measures were announced. He was to spend three days in self-isolation at the five-star hotel that lodges IOC members.
Suga said the state of emergency would go into effect on Monday and last through Aug. 22. This means the Olympics, opening on July 23 and running through Aug. 8, will be held entirely under emergency measures. The Paralympics open on Aug. 24.
“Taking into consideration the impact of the delta strain, and in order to prevent the resurgence of infections from spreading across the country, we need to step up virus prevention measures,” Suga said.
Suga, who had long favored fans, hinted at a no-fan Olympics in announcing the state of emergency.
“I have already said I won’t hesitate to have no spectators,” he added.
Just two weeks ago, organizers and the IOC allowed venues to be filled to 50% of capacity but crowds not to exceed 10,000. The state of emergency has forced a late turnaround, which was always an option if infections got worse.
“We will have to consider the option of no spectators,” Marukawa said in opening remarks with the IOC and others as they went into meetings to discuss a ban on fans.
The main focus of the emergency is a request for bars, restaurants and karaoke parlors serving alcohol to close. A ban on serving alcohol is a key step to tone down Olympic-related festivities and keep people from drinking and partying. Tokyo residents are expected to face stay-home requests and watch the games on TV from home.
“How to stop people enjoying the Olympics from going out for drinks is a main issue,” Health Minister Norihisa Tamura said.
The present state of emergency ends Sunday. Tokyo reported 896 new cases on Thursday, up from 673 a week earlier. It’s the 19th straight day that cases have topped the mark set seven days prior. New cases on Wednesday hit 920, the highest total since 1,010 were reported on May 13.
The no-fan atmosphere will include the opening ceremony at the $1.4 billion National Stadium, which is traditionally the most watched event during the Olympics.
“It’s not too late. Cancel or postpone it,” said Yukio Edano, the head of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, the largest opposition party to Suga’s LDP
The uptick in infections has also forced the Tokyo city government to pull the Olympic torch relay off capital streets, allowing it to run only on remote islands off the Tokyo coast. It’s unclear how the torch will enter the stadium for the opening ceremony.
“The infections are in their expansion phase and everyone in this country must firmly understand the seriousness of it,” Dr. Shigeru Omi, a top government medical adviser, said.
He urged authorities to quickly take tough measures ahead of the Olympics, with summer vacations approaching.
Omi has repeatedly called for a ban on spectators, and has said it’s “abnormal” to hold the Olympics during a pandemic.
Separately, a government COVID-19 advisory panel met Wednesday and expressed concerns about the ongoing resurgence of the infections.
“Two-thirds of the infections in the capital region are from Tokyo, and our concern is the spread of the infections to neighboring areas,” said Ryuji Wakita, director-general of the National Institute of Infectious Diseases.
The Olympics are pushing ahead against most medical advice, partially because the postponement stalled the IOC’s income flow. It gets almost 75% of its income from selling broadcast rights, and estimates suggest it would lose $3 billion to $4 billion if the Olympics were canceled.
About 11,000 Olympians and 4,400 Paralympians are expected to enter Japan, with tens of thousands of officials, judges, administrators, sponsors, broadcasters, and media also entering. The IOC says more than 80% of resident of the Olympic Village will be vaccinated.
Nationwide, Japan has had about 810,000 cases and nearly 14,900 deaths. Only 15% of Japanese are fully vaccinated, still low compared with 47.4% in the United States and almost 50% in Britain.
©2021 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit masslive.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
—-
This content is published through a licensing agreement with Acquire Media using its NewsEdge technology.
I think Dr. Fauci should be a New World Order czar and keep all of us in our homes, for the rest of our lives. We can wear a triple mask, breath in more carbon dioxide and with all of the moisture from our breath on the triple mask, the mask will be a breeding ground for bacteria. How is that International Olympic Committee? I am surprised the IOC hasn’t banned all of the Olympic athletes from participating in the Olympics because of covid! What a joke!
Sounds like a Japanese Fire Drill to me,,,,,,lots of smoke but no fire. Even the olympic torch is in jeopardy of blowing out, The chinese fire drill of course is being orchestrated by Fauci, famous for his proven ability to blow smoke up the America Taxpayers backside.
IMO That is what they should do.. JUST CANCEL THE OLYMPICS for yet another year.
BUT keep everyone who’s already qualified for it, AS IS.
Having been in the medical field (directly involved with patients with no mask during COVID) for 24+ years and an extensive background in biology, I was asked by my sister on the night of March 20th 2020 how long do you think things will be the way they are with COVID (Lockdowns, Social Distancing and etc) and my answer was as long as the media wants it to last, if they want it to last 2 weeks it will be 2 weeks if they want it to be 2 years it will be 2 years! Folks, I hate to be the bearer of bad news but this is here to stay! It is the New Control mechanism for the masses and will change every aspect of everyone’s life (Social, Financial, Occupations, Travel and etc)!!
Many of us said the same thing.. THE LEFT WILL DO all they can, to keep these restrictions in place.. ITS THEIR NEW CONTROL method.
Billions of dollars worth of Yen were invested in sports venues that will now sit empty, while the athletes compete in echo chambers. I have not watched the Olympics since the 1970’s and will not be watching this one either. Maybe we will all luck out and this will be the last one.
Lets see…”Tokyo reported 896 new cases on Thursday, ” Thats in a country of over 126,000,000 people or is that just in Tokyo where a mere 38,000,000 reside?
Keep in mind “cases” as is what is being reported world wide means nothing more than a meaningless positive test, not sickness, not hospitalization, and not death which accounts for less than 1% of those reported so called “cases”.
The Delta varient is nothing more than the new “fear factor” which they will use to justify new lockdowns, mask mandates and more injections including boosters and mandatory shots for kids. The Delta varient only differs from the original in a very slight, likely man made way and if their magic experimental injection was even half as effective as they would like you to believe it would work against it as well negating the need for any of that, but you can bet the Biden administration and the liar in chief Fauci along with their complicit media will use this to keep the sheep double masked alone in their cars while they continue to dismantle America.
AND supposedly, since only VACCINATED FANS would have been allowed to tRAVEL, WHY SHOULD THOSE WHO Have received the vaccines, be SHUT OUT???
OR are they really saying the vaccines don’t work!