Olympics-Japan to ease state of emergency, focus on Games spectators
Send a link to a friend
[June 17, 2021]
By Yuka Obayashi
TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan said on
Thursday it would ease emergency coronavirus curbs in nine
prefectures including Tokyo while keeping some measures, including
limiting spectator numbers at big events, amid fears that next
month's Olympics could trigger a surge in infections.
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga called on the Japanese public to watch
the Olympics on TV to avoid spreading the virus, saying it was
crucial to avoid any rebound in COVID-19 cases at the Games, due to
start on July 23 after being postponed last year.
"The important thing is to continue with our policies with a sense
of urgency to prevent the spread of infections. At the same time we
must keep up our vaccination efforts to prevent the collapse of the
medical system," he told a news conference.
Earlier, Suga announced that authorities were lifting the state of
emergency for Tokyo and eight other areas but would maintain
"quasi-emergency" measures in seven prefectures including Tokyo. The
state of emergency had been set to expire on Sunday.
Japanese media have reported that the government, which has barred
foreign spectators, is considering allowing up to 10,000 domestic
fans into stadiums during the Games, in line with a plan endorsed by
health experts
https://www.reuters.com/
lifestyle/sports/japan-considering-limited-domestic-spectators-olympics-media-2021-06-15
on Wednesday for events.
Polls have shown most Japanese people remain wary about the
possibility that the Games will spread infections, particularly as
vaccination rates are still lower than in other wealthy countries.
Suga said on Thursday that the vaccination of over-65s was likely to
be completed by the end of July.
The seven prefectures would keep the lower level restrictions until
July 11 to prevent a rebound in infections.
But with the pace of decline in new infections in Tokyo slowing in
recent days, some experts warned of a likely rebound and stressed
the need to respond quickly through further curbs or even the
reinstatement of a state of emergency in the capital, Economy
Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said earlier.
Asked whether the government would ask the International Olympic
Committee (IOC) to cancel or postpone the Games even after they have
started if there was a threat to public health and lives, Nishimura
said: "The IOC has the final say."
"Our top priority is to protect life and health. We will do our
utmost to control infection and secure hospital beds."
[to top of second column]
|
The giant Olympic rings are seen through
a tree at the waterfront area of Odaiba Marine Park, 50 days before
the opening ceremony of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, that have been
postponed to 2021 due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19)
outbreak, in Tokyo, Japan June 3, 2021. REUTERS/Issei Kato
THE WISDOM OF CROWDS
Japan is due to decide this month on whether to allow domestic
spectators at the Games and looks likely to keep some restrictions
on crowd numbers.
Under the "quasi-emergency" measures, just like under a state of
emergency, spectators at major events are limited to 5,000 or half
of a venue's capacity, whichever is smaller.
Health experts including top medical adviser Shigeru Omi agreed on
Wednesday that the number of spectators at venues could be raised to
10,000, but only in areas where the "quasi-emergency" had been
lifted.
The Mainichi newspaper and other media reported the government was
aiming to allow spectators into the Games, with the 10,000 cap. A
decision on the maximum number of spectators for the Olympics is due
by the end of the month.
Public broadcaster NHK said on Thursday that Omi and other health
experts had compiled proposals for the Games, stating that banning
spectators would be the least risky approach.
If spectators are to be allowed, the experts proposed there should
be more restrictions than those applied to other large-scale events,
NHK reported.
Omi will hold an online news conference on Friday about experts'
advice on how best to control the pandemic during the Games, the
Japan National Press Club said.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato declined to comment on the
reported proposals. He also said Japan aimed to introduce vaccine
passports by around late July in an effort to ease travel
restrictions.
(Reporting by Yuka Obayashi and Ritsuko Ando, Additional reporting
by Yoshifumi Takemoto, Daniel Leussink and Kentaro Sugiyama,
Additional writing by Gareth Jones, Editing by Lincoln Feast and
Pravin Char)
[© 2021 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2021 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.
|