Japan declares Tokyo is in a state of emergency due to COVID-19 because it is considering hosting the Olympics without fans Reuters

Authors: Antoni Slodkowski and Eimi Yamamitsu

Tokyo (Reuters)-Japan will declare a state of emergency in Tokyo until August 22 to contain a new wave of coronavirus infections, an important minister said on Thursday because organizers are considering banning all Spectators participate in the Olympics.

For weeks, the government’s medical advisers have stated that because the public is generally worried that the influx of thousands of athletes and officials will trigger a new wave of infections, no spectators at the Olympics will be the least risky option.

Organizers have banned overseas audiences and currently limit the number of domestic audiences to 50% of the capacity, with a maximum of 10,000 people. It is expected that negotiations will be held on Thursday or Friday to finalize the audience restrictions.

The meeting will be chaired by Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), who will arrive in Tokyo on Thursday to oversee the final stages of preparations.

Japanese Minister of Economic Affairs Yasutoshi Nishimura stated that Tokyo is scheduled to enter a state of emergency on July 12, after the number of new infections per day rose to 920 on Wednesday, the highest level since mid-May.

The current “quasi-emergency” restrictions in the Tokyo area are slightly looser. Nishimura said that under strict restrictions, restaurants will be required to stop serving alcoholic beverages.

The move is expected to take effect later on Thursday, and then Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga will hold a press conference.

Some areas around Tokyo where Olympic events will also be held, such as Chiba and Kanagawa, will maintain a “quasi-emergency state” until August 22.

The Olympic Games are scheduled to be held from July 23 to August 8.

Until this week, officials have insisted that they can safely organize some spectators to participate in the Olympics, but some of Suga’s allies blamed the frustration of the ruling party in the Tokyo parliamentary election on Sunday, forcing them to change their strategy, news The person said.

They said that Japan will hold parliamentary elections later this year, and the government insists that the Olympics — which was postponed last year due to the spread of the virus worldwide — should continue this year, which may cost the ballot box.