Tokyo Olympics: Organisers could consider banning spectators for night-time, large scale events

Tokyo Olympics organisers could ban spectators from night time and large scale events. The Games are scheduled to begin on July 23 amid worries about the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic due to the potential gatherings that could happen during the event.

The governors of Chiba and Saitama prefectures near Tokyo have already been urging organisers to ban spectators from night-time events in their localities.

Their request is being discussed and a decision will be made at five-way talks that will include the Tokyo governor, head of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and the head of Tokyo 2020, Olympics Minister Tamayo Marukawa told reporters.

The talks will be held on July 8, Kyodo news agency said.

The government is also expected to make a call next week on whether to lift a state of “quasi-emergency” in Tokyo and other parts of the country.

Polls show a majority of Japanese oppose holding the Olympics given warnings from health experts that it could unleash another wave of infections. The Games are scheduled to start on July 23, after a year’s delay due to the pandemic.

Organisers have pledged to make the Games “safe and secure”, arguing other large sporting events have been held safely.

While they have banned overseas spectators, they have so far decided to cap the number of domestic spectators to 10,000 per venue for the Games, or 50% of capacity, despite medical experts saying no spectators would be the “least risky” option.

Brushing aside concerns the Olympics could become a “superspreader” event, Sebastian Coe, president of World Athletics and a member of the IOC, told CNBC on Thursday the Games “will go ahead and they should go ahead”.

But the Euro 2020 soccer tournament – which has been blamed this week for a surge in COVID-19 cases as fans flocked to stadiums, bars and spectator zones across Europe – is likely to further fuel worries in Japan. read more

The governor of Hokkaido in northern Japan has indicated he would prefer if people did not come to watch the marathon along its routes in the city of Sapporo and has asked organisers to come up with safety protocols.

Top government spokesman Katsunobu Kato, when asked about the remarks, said he would “monitor discussions” between organisers and local authorities.