Japan PM vows to press ahead with Olympics despite virus surge
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[January 18, 2021]
By Kiyoshi Takenaka and Chris Gallagher
TOKYO (Reuters) - Prime Minister
Yoshihide Suga vowed on Monday to forge ahead with preparations to
hold the Tokyo Olympics this summer, in the face of growing public
opposition as Japan battles a surge in coronavirus infections.
Suga faces heightened scrutiny after Taro Kono, his administrative
and reform minister, told Reuters last week the Games may not go
ahead as planned, becoming the first cabinet member to voice doubt
over their staging.
Kono's comments added fuel to the fire after recent media polls
showed close to 80% of Japanese believe the Olympics, already
postponed by a year because of the pandemic, should be delayed again
or cancelled entirely.
"We will press ahead with preparations, with determination of
building watertight anti-infection measures and holding an event
that can bring hope and courage to the world," Suga said in a policy
speech at the start of a regular parliament session.
Japan has been less severely hit by the pandemic than many other
advanced economies, but the recent surge in cases spurred it to
close its borders to non-resident foreigners and declare a state of
emergency in Tokyo and major cities.
Suga's support ratings have tumbled as critics have described the
government's handling of the pandemic as too slow and inconsistent.
Monday's comments echo a pledge by International Olympic Committee
President Thomas Bach that the Tokyo Olympics will be a "light at
the end of the tunnel" in the global pandemic fight.
Organisers face no shortage of logistical headaches, with tough
decisions looming over how to welcome spectators and athletes while
safeguarding against the virus.
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Japan's Prime Minister
Yoshihide Suga delivers his policy speech at the opening of the
Lower House parliamentary session in Tokyo, Japan January 18, 2021.
REUTERS/Issei Kato
The IOC expects just 6,000 athletes at the opening ceremony, down
from an initial figure of about 11,000 from 200 nations, the Yomiuri
newspaper said on Monday.
It plans to scale back the ceremony because athletes will not be
allowed to arrive at the Olympic Village more than five days before
they compete and must depart within two days of completion of their
events, the paper added.
"We believe it is necessary to reconsider the number of participants
at the Opening and Closing Ceremonies and how they will enter the
stadium," the Tokyo 2020 organising committee said in an email.
This step would ensure the safety and security of the athletes and
simplify operations, it said, while adding that a specific approach
had not yet been decided in its talks with the IOC and other groups.
(Interactive graphic tracking global spread of coronavirus: https://graphics.reuters.com/world-coronavirus-tracker-and-maps)
(Additional reporting by Tim Kelly; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
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