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 Coates, a vice-president of the International Olympic Committee
(IOC) and its point-man for the event, sparked a backlash last month
when he said the Games would go ahead even if Tokyo were under a
state of emergency due to the pandemic.
Japan's government is considering ending the state of emergency in
Tokyo and several other prefectures as scheduled on June 20, but
keeping some curbs such as on restaurant hours until the Olympics
start in July, domestic media have said.
Economics Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura, in charge of Japan's
COVID-19 response, said that with hospital occupancy and infection
rates still high, it was too soon to talk as if lifting the state of
emergency was a done deal.
"Now is a critical time to call on the public, to suppress
infections and to take initiatives for a stable supply of hospital
beds," he said. A decision on the emergency could come as early as
Thursday, media reported.
Organisers' rules, known as a "playbook", already mandate wearing
masks by athletes and others in most situations and frequent testing
for COVID-19. Athletes and members of the media, whose movements
will be restricted, will be subject to GPS monitoring for the first
14 days of their stay in Japan.
The latest update was set to be announced later on Tuesday.
About 11,000 athletes and 78,000 journalists, officials and staff
are expected at the Games.
Japan has not suffered the explosive outbreaks seen elsewhere but
has still recorded more than 772,000 cases and over 14,000 deaths.
A slow vaccination rollout, though recently accelerating, means only
13% of the population has received at least one shot.
SUGA'S SUPPORT SLIDES
A June 1-9 online survey of companies by think tank Tokyo Shoko
Research showed 64% favoured cancelling or postponing the Games due
to such concerns as the spread of the virus and slow vaccinations.
Nearly 60% said doing so would hurt their businesses but just over
40% expected a positive impact.
Olympic Minister Tamayo Marukawa told a news conference that Pfizer
Inc would provide doses of its COVID-19 vaccine to an additional
20,000 people involved in the Olympics and Paralympics, Kyodo news
agency reported, doubling the amount previously promised by the U.S.
pharmaceutical firm.
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 Some 80% of qualified athletes
have already been vaccinated and the IOC is
pushing to raise the number.
Japan's often patchy response to the coronavirus
has eroded support for Prime Minister Yoshihide
Suga. A survey by NHK public TV
showed 37% approved of his government against 45% who disapproved,
the highest disapproval rating since he took office last September.
More than two-thirds were not persuaded by his explanation of why
the Games should be held or how they would be made safe.
Just under one-third wanted the Games cancelled while 61% wanted
either a cap on spectators or no spectators at all. Organisers have
already decided against allowing spectators from abroad and will
make a call on domestic spectators later this month.
Reflecting the role of money in decisions to forge ahead,
NBCUniversal Chief Executive Jeff Shell said on Monday the event
could be the most profitable Olympics in NBC’s history. NBCUniversal,
owned by Comcast Corp, paid $7.65 billion to extend its U.S.
broadcast rights for the Olympics through 2032.
The Games could provide an opportunity for diplomacy. Japan's
Yomiuri newspaper said South Korean President Moon Jae-In was
arranging a visit to Japan timed with the Games and Seoul is hoping
Moon will hold his first ever talks with Suga then.
 Japan's top government spokesman, however, denied a summit was in
the works amid a spat over islets claimed by both countries.
The relationship between South Korea and Japan has soured in recent
years due to disputes over the islets, war-time history and trade.
(Writing by Linda Sieg; Additional reporting by Daniel Leussink and
Leika Kihara; Editing by Lincoln Feast and Raju Gopalakrishnan)
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