Tokyo still unsure on fans’ presence
Tokyo, June 11: The question of allowing any fans into Tokyo Olympic venues is still being debated with a decision unlikely to be announced before the end of the month.
This would be just a few weeks before the Olympics are to open on July 23. Fans from abroad have already been banned in what is shaping up as a largely made-for-television Olympics.
Tokyo and several prefectures are under a state of emergency until June 20. Infections have slowed recently, but the spread of variants is still a concern that could put pressure on already stressed medical facilities.
Dr. Nobuhiko Okabe, director general of the Kawasaki City Institute for Public Health, suggested on Friday he would lean toward few fans. He spoke on a panel put together by the Tokyo Olympic organizing committee.
“Thinking in a different way, I think it’s an option to suggest to people to enjoy the games on TV like teleworking,” he said.
“We could suggest a different way of enjoying the games.
Okabe said it was not just a matter of fans in the venues, but what they do after leaving heading to bars or restaurants.
● Organising committee president Seiko Hashimoto originally said she would announce a decision in April about local fans but has repeatedly postponed it.
“We don’t want people to move much,” he said.
“That’s our wish as we think about anti-virus measures.”
Organizing committee president Seiko Hashimoto originally said she would announce a decision in April about local fans but has repeatedly postponed it.
Ticket sales were to account for 800 million in income for the organizing committee. Much of that will be lost and has to be made up by Japanese government entities.
Japan is officially spending 15.4 billion to run the Olympics, though government audits suggest the figure is much higher. All but
6.7 billion is public money. The Switzerland-based International Olympic Committee derives almost
75% of its income from selling broadcast rights, which drives the games and the urgency to hold it during a pandemic.