07/08/2021

Japan to Ban All Spectators from Olympic Venues in and Around Tokyo

This marks a course reversal by the officials

Japan will bar spectators from all Olympic events held in and around Tokyo, organizers announced Thursday, as the government imposed a fresh state of emergency to cover the capital during the Games.

"This is a sorry message that we have to announce," Seiko Hashimoto, president of the organizing committee, said at a news conference. "I am very sorry for those people who will be disappointed. But in order to prevent the spread, this was the only choice available for us to take. I hope that you understand the difficult choice that we made."

Earlier, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announced that Tokyo's fourth state of emergency would begin July 12 and last until Aug. 22, citing rising infections in the capital and the spread of the highly contagious delta variant. Hours after Suga's announcement, the organizers of the Games outlined their decision about the spectator ban, just two weeks before the Games are due to be opened July 23.

Please select this link to read the complete article from The Washington Post.