TOKYO – Tokyo Olympics organisers insisted today that the coronavirus-postponed Games will still go ahead despite Japan declaring a state of emergency less than 200 days before the opening ceremony.
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga yesterday announced the month-long measure covering the greater Tokyo area, taking effect from today, as the country battles a surge in infections.
Tokyo 2020 chiefs have already said another postponement of the Games – set to begin on July 23 – is out of the question.
And they insisted today that the emergency would not derail plans.
“This declaration of emergency offers an opportunity to get the Covid-19 situation under control and for Tokyo 2020 to plan for a safe and secure Games this summer, and we will proceed with the necessary preparations accordingly,” organisers said in a statement.
Suga said yesterday that Japan is committed to holding a “safe and secure” Olympics, and that he believes the public mood will change when the country begins vaccinations, currently scheduled for late next month.
But International Olympic Committee member Dick Pound told the BBC that he could not “be certain” the Games will go ahead, because “the ongoing elephant in the room would be the surges in the virus”.
Japan’s state of emergency is less strict than the harsh lockdowns seen elsewhere or even the country’s first virus emergency last spring.
It primarily targets restaurants and bars, which will be asked to stop serving alcohol by 7pm and close an hour later. – AFP, January 7, 2021
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