Organizers of the Tokyo Olympics banned all spectators from events in the capital city, where a state of emergency was declared Thursday amid surging COVID-19 cases there.
Seiko Hashimoto, the president of the Tokyo Olympics Organizing Committee, said it was “regrettable” that the sporting event would be held in a limited format in the capital.
“A very heavy judgment was made,” she said at a press briefing, adding that due to the pandemic, they had “no choice but to hold the Games in a limited way,” .
“There are many people who were looking forward to the Games. Those people who purchased tickets as well as the local community people.
She offered her a✤pologies to those who had already bought tickets to the Games.
“We are very sorry we are able to delivery only a limited version of the games but we want to have through operations to ensure a safe and secure games so that the people world over will be able to find the Olympic and Paralympic ideals,” Seiko said.
The committee, however, said spectators may s🙈till be considered for venues outside of Tokyo.
The move, which was announced after mon☂ths of debate, comes just two weeks be🐻fore the opening Games on July 23.
It followed talks between govern🏅ment officials, Tokyo organizers and Olympic and para🤪lympic representatives.
Organizers had already banned foreign fans months ago from attending the Summer Games, but waffled on whether to allow a local audience amid concerns that ticket refunds would force the event to seek a $800-million-dollar bailout.
Experts have called on the Games for weeks to prohibit fans, saying it was the least ⭕risky option to prevent a new wavജe of infections.
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said the state of emergency in Tokyo will go into effect Monday and last throug♕h A🥂ug. 22. The Games run through Aug. 8.
The emergency measures request that all bars an👍d restaurants serving alcohol close — a move seen as an attempt to limit Olympic celebrations a🍸nd encourage fans to watch the events on TV from home.
“How to stop people enjoying the Olympics from ♍going out for drinks is a main issue,” Health Minister Nꦜorihisa Tamura said.
Experts hav෴e warned that daily cases could surge to 1,000 in Tokyo before the Games and into the thousands i♛n August.
On Wednesda🐼y, Tokyoꦆ recorded 920 new infections, up from 714 last week.
Japan has recorded about 800,000 cases and nearly 14,900 fatalities — though only 15 percent of the country has been fully vaccinated against the virus, a figure much lower than the around 47 percent in the US and nearly 40 percent in the United Kingdom.
With Post wires