Jab hurdle confronts Olympics

PARIS: Athletes who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19 would face “extremely difficult” conditions at this year’s Tokyo Olympics.

French Olympic committee president Denis Masseglia has warned that unvaccinated athletes would face two weeks in quarantine in Japan and tests “in the mornings and evenings”.

The issue of vaccination of athletes for the Tokyo Olympics, postponed last year because of the pandemic, will be discussed this week by the International Olympic Committee’s executive committee.

The IOC officially encourages the vaccination of athletes but says it cannot impose it.

But Masseglia said there was no choice because “holding the Games is at stake”.

“We are not alone,” he said. “For our Japanese friends to receive athletes and accredited people from all over the world requires some precautions.”

He said the difficulties athletes would face could have “a dissuasive effect”.

In France, nearly a million priority people have been vaccinated, but the pace of vaccination is varied around the world. Some countries, including Japan and Australia, have not yet started.

The issue of vaccination of athletes also raises an ethical problem.

“It’s out of the question that athletes should be given priority over other categories of population, but between now and the Games we can assume it is possible to have them vaccinated without penalising other people,” Masseglia said.