TOKYO (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 01st July, 2021) Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Thursday did not rule out holding the Olympic and Paralympic Games without spectators if the situation with COVID-19 worsens.
"I've said before there is a possibility of there being no spectators. In any case, we will act with the safety and security of the Japanese people as our top priority," Suga was quoted by the Kyodo news agency.
Previously, the minister in charge of Japan's coronavirus response, Yasutoshi Nishimura, has reaffirmed on multiple occasions that the government is considering tightening safety due to a surge in COVID-19 cases, including banning spectators at the Olympics.
The Summer Olympics in Tokyo, initially scheduled for 2020, were postponed for a year due to the pandemic, and are currently scheduled to take place from July 23 to August 8. The event will be held without spectators from overseas, while the number of domestic spectators is capped at 10,000 at each venue unless the number exceeds 50% of a venue's capacity.
The authorities are pushing ahead with the sporting event despite public concerns and dismay linked to the pandemic.
