Daily US Times: International Olympic Committee vice-president John Coates said that this summer’s Olympics will go ahead even if Tokyo remains in a state of a emergency.
Tokyo, Japan’s capital, is one of nine prefectures under a state of emergency until 31 May at the earliest because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
It was brought in because of a rise in infections, which has since started to fall.
Coates said: “We’ve successfully seen five sports hold their test events during the state of emergency.”
The IOC Vice-President said all of the plans they have in place to protect the safety and security of the people of Japan and the athletes who are joining are based around the worst possible circumstances, so ”the answer [to whether the Games could take place during a state of emergency] is absolutely yes.”
Recent polls in Japan have suggested that nearly 70% of the population do not want the Olympics, which starts on 23 July, to go ahead.
Japan has long insisted there was no question the Olympics, which should have taken place last summer, would be held and will be safe.
Coates said about the negative opinion polls: “There may well be a correlation between some of these percentages and the low percentages so far of people in Japan who have been vaccinated.”
The British Olympic Association has already confirmed that all athletes from the country and support staff will be fully vaccinated before they head to Tokyo.
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