Olympics bans spectators after Tokyo declares COVID-19 emergency

TOKYO (Reuters), 8 July, 2021- The Tokyo Olympics will take place without spectators, organisers said on Thursday, as a resurgent pandemic forced Japan to declare a coronavirus state of emergency for the capital that will run throughout the event.

Although widely expected, the move marked a sharp turnabout from just weeks earlier, when organisers said they aimed to hold the global sporting showpiece with limited spectators.

“It is regrettable that we are delivering the Games in a very limited format, facing the spread of coronavirus infections,” Tokyo 2020 President Seiko Hashimoto said following talks between government officials, Tokyo organisers and Olympic and paralympic representatives.

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said it was essential to prevent Tokyo, where the highly infectious Delta COVID-19 variant was spreading, from becoming the source of another wave of infections.

Medical experts have said for weeks that having no spectators would be the least risky option, amid widespread public fears that an influx of thousands of athletes and officials will fuel a fresh wave of infections.