TOKYO - With Tokyo’s second-highest daily increase of Covid-19 cases at 1,387 cases since the 21st of January, Tokyo 2020 CEO Toshiro Muto is not ruling out the possibility of cancelling the Games at the eleventh hour.
"We cannot predict what the epidemic will look like in the future. So as for what to do should there be any surge of positive cases, we'll discuss accordingly if that happens," Muto said at a press conference.
The five parties, International Olympic Committee (IOC), the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee, the Japan government, the Tokyo Metropolitan government and the International Paralympic Committee, will continue to monitor the state of the coronavirus.
"At this stage, the coronavirus situation might get worse or better, so we will think about what to do when the situation actually arises," added Muto.
Currently, Tokyo is under a coronavirus state of emergency which will end on the 22nd of August, leaving all Tokyo venues spectator-free.
Public health expert, Dr Kenji Shibuya shared just three days before the opening of the Tokyo Olympics that the bubble system "is kind of broken."
"Visitors, athletes, journalists, delegates, of course, they are supposed to be within the bubble, but it's not working well," said Shibuya.
The Tokyo Olympics is hosting approximately 11,000 athletes from over 200 countries, which will be staying in 21 residential buildings.
Yet, not all athletes will stay in Tokyo for the whole duration of the Games.
Organisers have mentioned that the athletes’ are expected to arrive in the Olympic Village five days prior to their competitions and will depart, at the latest, two days after.
Of late, the coach of the Czech Republic Olympic beach volleyball team, Simon Nausch, has tested positive for Covid-19, and has left the Olympic Village and is isolating.
With this, Shibuya believes that the "fundamental problem" has been the "lack of open transparent" discussion on how the Games can be held safely.
"There's no way for them to track the movement of the people, and there is no quarantine for athletes and journalists for extended 14 days," Shibuya added.
"In theory, if they could have implemented all of the measures, it could have been done, but realistically the bubble is not working."
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) did not comment further.
Friday’s opening ceremony might see a decrease in athlete participation "in line with the restrictions that will be in force governing their length of stay at the Olympic Village."
A detailed estimate of the number of participants during the Opening Ceremony is yet to be confirmed as the committee is still "conducting Delegation Registration Meetings with individual athletes."
Recently, the IOC has unanimously approved a decision to include the word "together" in the Olympic motto, "Faster, Higher, Stronger -- Together."
"I think this is really a milestone in our development," IOC President Thomas Bach said, "we want to put special focus on solidarity, and this is what the word 'together' manes, that we're working in solidarity." - Agencies, 21 July, 2021
