N/A
The Tokyo Olympics arenas can have up to 10,000 local fans in attendance despite low COVID-19 vaccination rates in Japan and against the advice of the country's top medical adviser.
Olympic organizers announced Monday that they are planning to allow 50 percent capacity at events. The Games are set to go ahead amid a wave of criticism and safety concerns within Japan and around the wider world.
A poll conducted in May found that 83 percent of Japanese people did not support hosting the Olympics.
Dr. Shigeru Omi, Japan's leading medical adviser, recommended holding the Games without fans to ensure the safety of citizens and athletes. A host city does not have the option of canceling or postponing the Games once selected; only Olympic organizers can make such a call.
Originally planned for 2020, the Tokyo Olympics were moved to this summer because of the COVID-19 pandemic. While vaccinations have led to sharply declining infection rates in some countries, Japan is not expected to reach widespread vaccination until October. Currently, only 17.7 percent of the Japanese population has received at least one shot of the vaccine.
Organizing committee CEO Toshiro Muto said it's possible the Games will eliminate fan attendance if a state of emergency is called.
"We need to be very flexible. If there is any abrupt change in the situation, we will hold five-party meetings again to make other decisions," Hashimoto said. "If there is an announcement of a state of emergency during the Games, all the options like no-spectator games will be examined."
Fans will be banned from cheering and must wear masks to attend the Games.
