Written by Will Seykora
Japan has announced that Tokyo, the location of the Olympic games, will be placed under a state of emergency due to a COVID outbreak. As of now, foreign attendees are already out of the question, however, this state of emergency may put a stop to all attendees.
So what could this mean for the capital of Japan as the Olympic games are only a couple of weeks away? Well, the emergency mainly targets bars and restaurants, prohibiting them from serving alcohol in an attempt to stop Olympic game parties and celebrations. It is also expected that many residents will face a stay-at-home order, meaning the Olympic stadium will be a very quiet place as the games are held.
As of now, only 15% of Japanese are fully vaccinated, compared to about 47% of the United States and nearly half of Britain. This helped in the sudden spread of COVID as Tokyo reported 920 new cases on Wednesday, experts say that daily cases can possibly hit 1,000 before the Olympics and even spiking higher by August.
The Olympic games are set to be held starting July 23rd and continue until August 8th. These games have already been delayed by a year, and delaying them again would surely bring outrage from fans and athletes alike.
That’s why the goal of both Japan and the International Olympic Committee is to ensure the games continue, even if it’s without the cheers of fans. Thomas Bach, the president of the International Olympic Committee is set to land in Tokyo today however must isolate for three days before going to Hiroshima to discuss further plans with Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga.
