Vaccine is not a requirement to stay on hold for next year Olympic Said the Paralympic Games, the CEO of the Tokyo Games, on Friday.
Toshiro Muto was speaking after a task force meeting with senior government officials, disease specialists, and Japanese Olympic officials. This is the first of several high-level conferences addressing the COVID-19 pandemic as Tokyo seeks to host a game.
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“It’s not a prerequisite,” Muto said of the vaccine. “The International Olympic Committee and WHO have already discussed this issue. It is not a requirement for the Tokyo 2020 Games. Vaccines are not mandatory. Of course, if vaccines are developed, I really appreciate it. And for Tokyo 2020 this Is great, but when I ask if it’s a condition, it’s not.”
Taskforce meetings over the next few months will address issues such as athlete entry into Japan, COVID-19 testing, measures to keep the venue safe, antivirus in athlete villages, immigration issues and fan status. I will.
A statement summarizing the schedule of the five meetings said, “An interim summary is planned by the end of 2020.”
“As an onlooker, we don’t have a situation yet, but we want to keep it out,” Muto said.
Japan faces major challenges, and there is generally suspicion that the Olympics are or should be. Japan has already invested billions of dollars and the delay can cost billions of dollars.
According to a poll of about 13,000 Japanese companies last month, 53.6% want to cancel or postpone the game. The IOC has announced that it will be canceled if the Olympic Games cannot be held in 2021.
A July poll found that two-thirds of the population also favored postponement or cancellation.
“While living with the coronavirus, we need to ensure that athletes perform at their best and that the audience can safely enjoy the game,” said Sugita at the meeting. Stated. “To achieve that, we coordinate border controls, inspections, healthcare systems, and venue operations.”
Approximately 1,300 deaths from COVID-19 have been reported in Japan, but new cases in Tokyo have declined over the last few weeks. The challenge is to bring in athletes representing 206 countries and regions with very different COVID-19 requirements.