Thousands sign petition in Japan calling for Olympics to be cancelled

An online petition calling for the Tokyo Olympics to be cancelled has gained tens of thousands of signatures since being launched in Japan only days ago.

The rollout of the petition comes with Tokyo, Osaka and several other areas under a state of emergency with coronavirus infections rising - particularly new variants.

The state of emergency is due to expire on May 11, but some reports in Japan say it is likely to be extended.

The postponed Olympics are due to open in just under three months on July 23.

The petition is addressed to

International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomasbach,whohastentativeplans to visit Japan later this month.

He is expected to meet the Olympic torch relay on May 17 in Hiroshima, and perhaps alsotraveltotokyowheresmall anti-olympics protests being planned.

Although 70-80% of Japanese citizens in polls say they want the Olympics cancelled or postponed, there is no indication this will happen. Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, Tokyo organising committee president Seiko Hashimoto,andmrbachhaverepeatedlysaidthegameswillgoonas scheduled.

Organisers and the IOC unveiled so-called playbooks last week, explaining rules for athletesandotherstoshowhow the Olympics can be held in the middle of a pandemic. Several testeventshavebeenconducted inthelastfewdays,andorganisershavereportedfewproblems.

The Olympic torch relay has been crisscrossing Japan for a month. Organisers say that eight people working on the relay have tested positive for the virus.

The petition has been organized by Kenji Utsunomiya, a lawyer who has run several timesfortokyogovernor.itregisteredabout50,000signatures in the first 24 hours after being launched.

"Government policies are being set with the Olympics in mind, and measures to curb the coronavirus pandemic are beingneglected,"mrutsunomiyasaid."hospitalsarestretched thin,andsomepeoplearedying at home."

The headline in English over the petition reads: Cancel the Tokyo Olympics to protect our lives.

The petition suggests the Olympics cannot be held safely and says the games have drained finances away for other needs such as the rollout of a Covid-19 vaccine.

Only 2% of the Japanese public have been vaccinated. Japan has attributed 10,500 deaths to the virus, good by global standards but not as good as many Asian neighbours.

Meanwhile, the IOC said vaccine developers Pfizer and

Biontech will donate doses to inoculate athletes and officials preparing for the Tokyo Olympics.

Deliveryofdosesissettobegin this month to give Olympic delegations time to be fully vaccinatedwithasecondshotbefore arrivingintokyoforthegames.

Itisthesecondmajorvaccination deal for the IOC. An agreementwasannouncedinmarch between the IOC and Olympic officialsinchinatobuyanddistribute Chinese vaccines ahead of the Tokyo Games.

The new Pfizer offer gives the IOC greater coverage worldwide ahead of Tokyo with most countriesyettoauthoriseemergency use of Chinese vaccines.