Japan announces state of emergency ahead of Tokyo Olympics

Japan has called for a state of emergency in Tokyo. This state will run throughout the Tokyo Olympics to combat the COVID infection. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga told the reporters that it would remain in place until the 22 this August.

Bars and restaurants will not be open for serving alcohol and must close by 20:00. The infection rate for corona is rising in Tokyo as the opening ceremony on 23 July is coming closer. It is widespread in opposition to the Games in Japan. They are calling for the cancellation or postponing of the game.

The prime minister said, “Taking into consideration the effect of coronavirus variants and not letting the infections spread again to the rest of the nation, we need to strengthen our countermeasures.”

For such issues, there must be a state of emergency for the Tokyo Olympics. The organizers are also considering the barring of fans from all of the Olympics events. The announcement took place after a meeting between the organizing committee and the government, and the International Olympic Committee President, Thomas Bach.

The game is scheduled to take place in the capital of Japan between 23 July and 8th August. The Paralympic Games will take place between 24th August and 5th September.

A new wave for the covid infection began in April. But the overall country has relatively fewer cases. The death toll is around 14900. On Wednesday, there were at least 2180 new cases. Some 920 of those cases took place in Tokyo.

The vaccination rollout in Japan is very slow. It is just over 15% in the country who have received the second dose of vaccination. However, there is a rising concern regarding the Delta Variant.

In Tokyo and Osaka, two of the cities are facing a recent surge. Authorities are hoping to vaccinate citizens over the age of 65 by the end of this month. Japan has also banned the entry of foreigners from 159 countries.

There is a lot of opposition in the Games. It has already been postponed for a year due to the Covid. A June poll in a leading news report says there are more than 80% of the population who wanted the cancellation or the postponement of the game. The public spectator sites have been scrapped, and the companies are facing hesitation about advertising the Olympics due to the widespread opposition.

Credits: BBC