MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 29th January, 2021) The Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo in 2021 will testify to the prevalence of humankind over the coronavirus pandemic, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said on Friday, adding that vigorous health security measures for the event are in development.
"Regarding the Tokyo Games, this is going to be the testimony of humankind prevailing over COVID-19. So we are resolved to deliver the Games in a safe and secure manner," Suga said in his address to the Davos Agenda virtual event as part of the World Economic Forum.
The prime minister added that last year, he agreed with the president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Thomas Bach, to closely collaborate to ensure that the event would take place in 2021.
"In order to realize the secure Games, the infection countermeasures are of paramount importance, so we are in the process of studying the concrete substance and contents of what we will do about it. Tokyo metropolitan government, Tokyo 2020 organizing committee and IOC ... there is a cross-collaboration between these three parties. Preparation is going on," the official said.
The Tokyo Games were scheduled to be held last summer, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced the IOC to postpone the event for a year. A new date for the start of the Tokyo Olympics has been set for July 23, 2021. In order to hold the event in a safe manner, organizers take into account various scenarios for holding the Olympics and developed a wide array of measures for a proper response to the pandemic. The Japanese government, in turn, prepared three options for dealing with spectators: no restrictions, a 50 percent restriction, and a total ban on the arrival of fans.
