TOKYO (AP) – With cancellation calls, pressure is mounting on Japanese organizers and the IOC to explain exactly how they plan to hold the Tokyo Olympics amid a pandemic.
The International Olympic Committee and local organizers are expected to launch “Playbooks” next week, which will provide step-by-step details on how athletes and thousands of others will be able to get in and out of Tokyo safely.
Both the organizers and the IOC have been on strike for months, opening the door to speculation about a cancellation or other postponement. Some in the Japanese medical community are being alarmed, fearing that hospitals (which already have problems with local patients) will be overwhelmed when the Olympics open on July 23rd. The Paralympics follow on August 24th.
There is also a skeptical Japanese audience. Recent polls suggest 80% want games to be postponed again or canceled.
Tokyo and Japan have experienced an increase in viruses in recent months and much of the country is under an emergency order. Japan has attributed just over 5,000 deaths to COVID-19 and has controlled the virus much better than most countries.
Q: What are “Playbooks” and how will they work?
A: These are guides aimed at athletes and others (sponsors, officials, media and broadcasters) to explain about Japan’s entry into the Olympics. The rules could require self-quarantine before leaving the country of origin. Certainly, you will have to take a negative test before boarding the plane. There will be more testing on arrival in Japan, transportation in designated vehicles and more daily testing at Athletes Village, which, like the venues, will become a “bubble”. The rulebooks will be updated three times, adding new information as organizers get more information.
Q: Why are the organizers confident of being able to hold the Olympic and Paralympic Games?
A: Craig Spence, spokesman for the International Paralympic Committee, listed four reasons: 1) Unlike ten months ago, scientists know a lot more about the virus; 2) sports and health officials have learned to hold sporting events during the pandemic; 3) vaccines are already available; 4) The Olympic and Paralympic Games do not open for six months, time for the rise of the virus to facilitate entry into the northern hemisphere summer.
“We fully understand the pressure the health care system has now,” Spence told The Associated Press. “But summer is coming, it shouldn’t be like that because the numbers should fall.
“If you’re an athlete or an interested party, you won’t be able to get on a plane until you prove a negative test,” Spence added. “When you see the number of tests we’re going to do (in situ), that should reassure people.”
Q: What about the fans? Will there be any? Any from abroad?
A: Olympic Minister Seiko Hashimoto said in a parliamentary session on Tuesday that the decision will be announced “in the spring.” Covered venues are likely to have fewer fans (if any) than outdoor stadiums. And it seems increasingly unlikely that outside fans will be able to attend. Fewer fans make more costs for Japan. The local organizing committee expected to receive $ 800 million for ticket sales. Any deficit will have to be offset by Japanese government entities.
Q: What about vaccines? Will they have to enter Japan?
A: This is a delicate area. Bach has encouraged all “participants” to get vaccinated, but says it will not be necessary. The IOC and other sports bodies are warned that young and healthy athletes should not be prioritized over health and vulnerable workers. IOC member Dick Pound of Canada received a strong boost recently when he suggested that the “most realistic way to move forward” was to prioritize athletes. Dr. Michael Ryan, the executive director of the World Health Organization, has described the Olympics as a “wonderful symbol,” but adds, “We have to face the reality of what we face now: no enough vaccine at the moment to serve them even more at risk ”.
Spence, the CPI spokesman, said some teams had already been vaccinated. He did not name them.
Q: How does the Japanese medical and scientific community react to the prospect of holding the Olympics?
A: There is a lot of open skepticism. A few days ago, the president of the Medical Association of Japan gave a warning when asked about the Olympics and possible patients from abroad.
“A lot of people will come from abroad, and it’s a large number, even just with the athletes,” Dr. Toshio Nakagawa said. “In this situation, if patients with coronavirus appear among themselves as a collapse of the medical system, there will be no acceptance. … Unless a miracle occurs, as if the vaccine is successful or a cure is suddenly found, we will not be able to accept more patients. “
With the growth of new cases, Tokyo and other parts of Japan have been subject to a voluntary emergency order since early January. It will end on February 7th.
“Right now, there has been a situation that can be called the collapse of the medical system in various places, especially in areas where a state of emergency has been declared and is becoming a daily reality.” , said Nakagawa. “If things continue, we may have to do a triage and choose which life takes precedence over another.”
Q: The Olympics have been canceled five times, all during the war. Why are officials advancing in the midst of the pandemic?
A: The last cancellations were in 1944. That was before there was a lot of money at stake. The IOC is now a rich, commercial sports business that relies on selling emission rights for almost 75% of its revenue. Another 18% come from sponsors. The IOC has only two major products to sell: the Summer and Winter Olympics.
Estimates suggest that Tokyo pays between $ 2,000 and $ 3 billion in payments for transmission to the IOC. He has a reserve fund, but he must have the money from the television. In addition, Japan has spent at least $ 25 billion preparing. Finally, China will host the Beijing Winter Olympics just six months after finishing Tokyo. Japanese politicians do not want to fail and cede the Chinese stage.
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Associated Press writers Mari Yamaguchi and Yuri Kageyama contributed to this report.
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