Tokyo Paralympics press ahead to allow students to attend

The
Paralympics
open
on
Tuesday
and
run
through
Sept.
5.
All
other
fans
have
been
banned
as
they
were
for
the
Olympics.
About
4,400
athletes
are
expected
from
about
160
countries
and
territories.
Tokyo
Governor
Yuriko
Koike
has
said
she
is
pressing
ahead
to
allow
school
children
to
attend
the
Paralympics,
as
long
as
parents
and
schools
are
supportive.

News
reports
say
the
number
of
students
involved
is
between
130,000
and
140,000.
Tokyo
is
under
a
state
of
emergency
through
Sept.
12.
About
40%
of
the
Japanese
population
is
fully
vaccinated.
Tokyo
reported
5,074
new
cases
on
Saturday.
It
marked
the
first
time
the
capital
has
logged
more
than
5,000
cases
for
four
consecutive
days.

Daily
new
cases
have
increased
sharply
since
the
Olympics
opened
on
July
23.
Tokyo
reported
4,392
new
cases
on
Sunday.
Japan
has
attributed
about
15,500
deaths
to
COVID-19.
Hospital
capacity
in
Tokyo
has
become
so
tight
that
those
not
deemed
ill
enough
for
hospital
admission
are
getting
oxygen
supplied
at
home
or
at
makeshift
facilities
set
up
for
emergencies.

The
Tokyo
organizing
committee
and
the
International
Paralympic
Committee
also
back
the
plan
for
student
fans.
They
argue
it’s
important
to
have
students
view
athletes
with
disabilities,
which
could
change
attitudes
in
a
relatively
conservative
society
like
Japan.

“This
generation
is
the
one
that
will
sustain
our
society
in
the
future,
and
so
we
are
absolutely
passionate
about
providing
this
opportunity,”
Tokyo
organizing
committee
spokesman
Masa
Takaya
said
Sunday.

In
an
interview
a
few
days
ago,
IPC
President
Andrew
Parsons
said
he
supported
the
plan
–
with
a
caveat.
“We
endorse
the
initiative
because
we
believe
it
is
an
important
element
of
legacy
by
bringing
school
kids
to
the
games,”
Parsons
said.
“But
of
course,
it
is
imperative
these
kids
must
come
to
the
games
in
a
safe
way.”

Opposition
is
coming
from
the
Japanese
government’s
top
medical
adviser.
Dr.
Shigeru
Omi
told
a
parliamentary
session
a
few
days
ago
that
the
current
COVID-19
situation
compared
to
before
the
Olympics
is
significantly
worse.

“If
you
think
what
it
means
to
allow
audience,
the
decision
is
quite
obvious,”
Omi
added.

Omi
said
Tokyo’s
high
rate
of
positive
tests
exceeding
20%
suggests
that
infections
are
more
widely
spread
than
the
number
of
daily
cases
reported.

In
Shizuoka,
located
about
160
kilometers
(100
miles)
southwest
of
Tokyo,
all
93
schools
have
canceled
their
planned
participation
because
of
the
state
of
emergency
taking
effect
in
the
area
beginning
on
Aug.
20,
according
the
Mainichi
newspaper.