Tokyo Olympics: Japan limits the number of officials at the Games

TOKYO. The Tokyo 2020 organizing committee will limit the number of officials and workers from abroad to about 78 thousand: less than half of the initially estimated figure, in an attempt to stem the spread of the coronavirus during the Summer Games. The Japanese media anticipate this, citing sources aware of the dossier, in line with the request to international sports federations and local committees to further file the expected figure of 90 thousand, from the original quota of 180 thousand presences before the health emergency. Although the number of athletes at the Olympics and Paralympics will remain unchanged, at around 15,000, organizers believe that the lists of officials of the various sports associations and media personnel could be subject to further scissoring. The decision comes at a delicate stage while increasing the skepticism of the population on whether or not to go ahead with the sporting event, just when – less than two months after the opening ceremony – the country is in the middle of the fourth wave and in several prefectures, including Tokyo, a state of emergency is in effect. To contain the risk of infections, the organizers have already ordered a ban on entry into the country for spectators from abroad, and have reserved the right to make a decision on the local public by June. Since the start of the pandemic, Japan has reported 699,500 cases of Covid and 11,950 confirmed deaths.