TOKYO (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 20th June, 2021) Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato said on Sunday that it is possible that the Olympic and Paralympic Games will proceed without spectators this summer if COVID-19 cases in the country continue to grow.
"If we see an increase in the number of coronavirus infections, the basic rule is to take the necessary measures and deal with the Olympics in the same way as other events," Katsu said, as quoted by Japanese news agency Kyodo.
According to the minister, as cited in the report, such measures may include limiting the number of spectators up to barring them altogether.
The Olympic Committee in Japan already prohibited overseas fans from coming to the games back in March and is now discussing the number of domestic spectators that may be allowed to attend.
The Japanese government and Tokyo authorities are scheduled to meet with the Olympic and Paralympic officials on Monday to discuss the issue of spectators. They will likely scrutinize the Japanese government's plan to limit the number of domestic spectators to 10,000 people per building as long as the figure does not exceed the 50-percent capacity.
The Olympic Games are due to start on July 23 and the Paralympic Games on August 24.
As of Saturday, more than 784,600 people in Japan have tested positive for the virus, the with the highest numbers registered in Tokyo (168,709 cases), Osaka (102,334 cases) and Kanagawa (65,294 cases). This past Thursday, the Japanese prime minister said that the COVID-19 state of emergency would be lifted on Sunday in all prefectures but Okinawa, while intensive anti-virus measures would be extended in the prefectures bordering Tokyo until July 11.
