DM Monitoring
TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga formally declared on Thursday a state of emergency in Tokyo, putting restrictions aimed at curbing coronavirus infections in place through August 22.
The Tokyo Olympics will take place without spectators, organizers have confirmed, as the resurgent coronavirus pandemic forced Japan to declare a state of emergency for the capital that will run throughout the event.
Although widely expected, the move marked a sharp turnabout from just weeks earlier, when organizers said they aimed to hold the global sporting showpiece with limited spectators. “It is regrettable that we are delivering the Games in a very limited format, facing the spread of coronavirus infections,” Tokyo 2020 president Seiko Hashimoto said following talks between govt officials, Tokyo organizers and Olympic and Paralympics representatives.
Medical experts have said for weeks that having no spectators at the Games would be the least risky option amid widespread public fears that an influx of thousands of athletes.
