Story at a glance
- New coronavirus cases in Tokyo are reportedly at their highest point since May, with less than two weeks until opening ceremonies at the delayed 2020 Olympics.
- A surge in cases might prompt Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga to implement a state of emergency, which could jeopardize spectator attendance at the Olympic games.
- “Infections in Tokyo are trending upward, and we will take every necessary measure to curb the spread of the coronavirus,” Prime Minister Suga told reporters Wednesday.
New coronavirus cases in Tokyo are reportedly at their highest point since May, with less than two weeks from opening ceremonies at the delayed 2020 Olympics.
The Tokyo government reported 920 new infections on Tuesday, marking its highest total since reporting 1,010 May 13, Kyodo news reported. A surge in cases might prompt Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga to implement a state of emergency, which could jeopardize spectator attendance at the Olympic games.
“Infections in Tokyo are trending upward, and we will take every necessary measure to curb the spread of the coronavirus,” Suga told reporters after meeting with members of his cabinet.
Japan lifted its previous state of emergency June 21.
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Games officials previously announced that domestic fan attendance would be permitted with strict regulations and at 50 percent venue capacity. Guidelines would prohibit the sale of alcohol and limit cheering to clapping.
“The festive mood will have to be suppressed — that has become a major challenge,” Olympic organizing committee President Seiko Hashimito said in June, according to AFP. “People can feel joy in their hearts, but they can’t be loud and they have to avoid crowds.”
“Those are the areas where we need to be creative, and we are putting in a lot of effort to come up with a new way of celebrating,” Hashimito concluded.
Japanese government medical adviser Shigeru Omi, who has maintained that having no spectators at the games would be “desirable,” told authorities the country is at a critical point heading into the global event.
“The period from July to September is the most critical time for Japan’s COVID-19 measures,” Omi said, according to The Associated Press.
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Japan has reported nearly 810,000 COVID-19 cases and 14,834 deaths, data from Johns Hopkins University shows. And slightly more than 15 percent of the nation has been fully vaccinated.
Opening Ceremonies at the Tokyo Olympics are scheduled to begin July 23.
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