UPDATE - About Half of Big Japanese Companies Want Olympics to Be Held in Limited Format - Reports

TOKYO (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 28th January, 2021) About a half of the 100 biggest Japanese companies - 48 ones - want the Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo to be held in a limited format, a study published by the NHK broadcaster said on Thursday.

Only 13 companies believe that the games should be held in a normal format, while 36 firms refused to answer the question citing the need to make a serious decision based on the epidemiological situation.

Three more companies have strongly rejected the idea to hold the games because of the risk of a new wave of the coronavirus that may be caused by the influx of foreign visitors.

The main arguments of those supporting the games are the need to revive the economy and society as well as to respect the careers of athletes.

The International Olympic Committee said in late March that the 2020 Summer Olympics would be postponed for a year over the COVID-19 pandemic.

Currently, the games are scheduled for July 23-August 8.�

Last week, media reported that the Japanese government had privately concluded that the games in Tokyo must be canceled over the pandemic and wanted to submit a bid to host the 2032 games. The reports were later refuted by Japanese officials.

The World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic on March 11. To date, more than 100.7 million people have been infected with the coronavirus worldwide, with over 2.17 million fatalities, according to Johns Hopkins University (JHU).

Japan has confirmed more than 376,000 coronavirus cases so far, with over 5,000 fatalities.