The president of the Tokyo Olympic Games organizing committee on Friday hinted that even local fans could be barred from participating in the Games, which open in less than two months.
Fans from abroad were expelled months ago, following estimates that allowing them was too dangerous during a pandemic.
The possibility of the Olympics being held without spectators became real after the Japanese government decided on Friday to extend the state of emergency until June 20, as cases of COVID-19 continue to challenge the medical system.
The state of emergency was expected to be lifted on Monday. The decision, which includes Tokyo, Osaka and several other prefectures, also raised questions about whether the Olympics would be held.
Organizers insist they will continue preparations despite polls in Japan showing that 60 to 80 percent are seeking their cancellation.
“We would like to make a decision for the fans as soon as possible, but after the extension of the state of emergency we have to make assessments,” said organizing committee president Seiko Hashimoto during the weekly conference.
Ms. Hashimoto had promised to make the decision for the local fans in April, which she postponed to early June. Now the deadline is less than a month from the opening date on July 23rd.
“There are a lot of people who say that the Olympics should be held without spectators, although other sports are accepting spectators,” Hashimoto said. “We must avoid endangering medical services. “They have to consider these things before we agree on allowing spectators.”
Pressure to cancel the event is growing every day in Tokyo as many questions are raised about the dangers of gathering in Japan 15,000 Olympic and pre-Olympic athletes from more than 200 countries and territories.
The International Olympic Committee says more than 80 percent of the athletes and staff staying at the Tokyo Olympic Village will be vaccinated.
In addition to athletes, tens of thousands of judges, officials, celebrities, journalists and broadcasters will have to enter Japan.
Earlier in the week, the New England Journal of Medicine commented: “We believe that the Olympic Committee’s determination to continue the Olympics is not based on the best scientific evidence.”
That same week, Asahi Shimbun – the country’s second-largest party – said the Olympics should be canceled.
The other issue, The British Medical Journal, last month asked editors to reconsider holding the Olympics amid a pandemic.
On Thursday, the head of a small medical association in Japan warned that holding the Olympics could lead to the spread of coronavirus variants. He mentioned the species common in India, Britain, South Africa and Brazil.
Japan has recorded about 12,500 deaths from COVID-19, a relatively small number that has increased in recent months. In Japan the distribution of the vaccine started slowly, but the process has accelerated in recent days. About 5 percent of the population has been vaccinated so far.
The International Olympic Committee, which often cites the World Health Organization as the source of most information about the coronavirus, has been adamant that the Olympics should take place.
The committee gets about 75 percent of its revenue from the sale of broadcasting rights, which is estimated to be $ 2-3 billion from Tokyo. But revenue slowed after the event was postponed.
Japan itself has spent $ 15.4 billion on hosting the Olympics, and government audits suggest the figures could be even higher.
Last week, International Olympic Committee vice-president John Coates was asked if the Olympics would take place even if the country is in a state of emergency.
“Absolutely, yes,” he said.
Even the president of the International Olympic Committee Thomas Bach has stated that “everyone in the Olympic community” must sacrifice to hold the event.
