The Vice President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), John Coates has declared that the Tokyo 2020 Olympics will go ahead even if the city is under a state of emergency due to COVID-19.
Addressing a virtual news conference, Coates also posited that the event will be held even if local medical experts advise against holding the Olympics.
“The advice we have from the WHO (World Health Organization) and all other scientific and medical advice that we have is that — all the measures we have outlined, all of those measures that we are undertaking are satisfactory and will ensure a safe and secure games in terms of health.
“And that’s the case whether there is a state of emergency or not.”
The Olympic games is facing mounting opposition from the Japanese public with surveys indicating that nearly 70% of respondents want a cancellation or further postponement.
Coates suggested, however that, public opinion might improve as more Japanese get fully vaccinated.
“If it doesn’t then our position is that we have to make sure that we get on with our job. And our job is to ensure these games are safe for all the participants and all the people of Japan.”
According to health officials, only 4.1% of the Japanese population have been vaccinated. IOC officials say they expect more than 80% of the residents of the Olympic Village, located on Tokyo Bay, to be vaccinated.
Coates added that additional medical personnel would be part of the foreign Olympic delegations to support the medical operations and the implementation of the COVID-19 countermeasures at the Games.
About 11,000 Olympic and 4,400 Paralympic athletes are expected to attend.
Measures to minimize risk of infections at games
Addressing reporters, Seiko Hashimoto, the head of the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee also revealed that to minimize risk of infections, organizers have cut the number of people coming to participate in the Olympics as part of foreign delegations to 78,000 from about 180,000.
She said that the Olympics would rely on 230 doctors and 300 nurses a day, about 50,000-60,000 coronavirus tests would be carried out daily and that the organizers have secured about 80% of the medical staff they need.
“We want to make sure we secure medical personnel in a way that will not burden local medical services.”
Hashimoto also noted that the number of spectators — if any — at venues would “depend on the spread of infections.” She promised a decision on venue capacity will be announced in June.
Despite the measures to make the venue safe for the upcoming event, several teams have pulled out of planned pre-Olympic training camps ahead of the Games due to coronavirus fears
Earlier today, 21st May, the Canadian swimming team became the latest delegation to cancel camping activities. The US track and field team also cancelled its training camp last week, while dozens of Japanese towns have abandoned plans to host athletes.
Tokyo has officially spent $15.4 billion to organize the Olympics, though according to reports, government audits suggest the real number is much higher.
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