With the Tokyo 2020 Olympics just about a month away, the city has started unveiling several Covid-19 restrictions aimed at ensuring a safe and secure Games. As reported by The Japan Times, Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike has announced that all public live-viewing events during the Olympics and Paralympics will be cancelled due to coronavirus concerns.
The original plan was to have six live-viewing sites, including one each in Yoyogi, Inokashira and Hibiya parks. But now, these venues will be used for Covid-19 vaccinations instead. Rather than having public screenings, Koike is planning to use the internet to promote the Games, ie, encouraging people to watch at home. Koike said Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga supported her decision on cancelling the live-viewing events.
Olympic organisers and the Japanese government are still considering allowing local spectators to watch the Games in person and will make a final decision at a meeting on Monday June 21. Japan's top Covid-19 adviser, Shigeru Omi, has advised it's best to not have spectators at the Games to ensure the safest conditions.
Currently, the government policy for large events is to allow up to 10,000 guests, as long as attendance does not exceed 50 percent of venue capacity. The government has considered applying the same rule to the Olympics, but no final decision has been made.
Tokyo has officially shifted to a quasi-state of emergency, which is set to last until Sunday July 11.
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