Japan is working closely with the International Olympic Committee to prepare for the Games, and despite concerns about Covid-19 cases, there are no plans to postpone it, the Japanese vaccination minister said.
“Unless they decide otherwise, we just have to prepare for the Games, how to control the situation. I think it changes almost every day, so they have to be prepared for that. But I don’t think they’re thinking about postponing.” , Taro Kono told CNBC’s Martin Soong on Tuesday.
The Olympic torch was removed from the Osaka public thoroughfare on Wednesday when the prefecture declared a state of emergency after coronavirus cases hit record highs.
“Yes, (the) situation in Osaka is especially worrying,” said Kono, who is also a minister of regulatory reform. A new virus variant similar to the one first discovered in the UK is “spreading rapidly” in Osaka, he added.
“We have identified a similar mutation in Tokyo, so we are concerned (that) Tokyo may follow Osaka in a couple of weeks. So we really need to be mindful of the situation,” he said.
Behind the Olympic symbols of the five intertwined rings displayed near Tokyo National Stadium is a man wearing a face mask.
James Matsumoto, SOPA Images | LightRocket | Getty Images
The population of Osaka is much smaller than that of Tokyo, but the city reported 878 new cases on April 7, compared to 555 in Tokyo on the same day.
The Summer Olympics will officially begin in Tokyo on July 23, just over 100 days away. Last year they were delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
However, the Games will be greatly reduced compared to previous years, as they have been denied entry to international spectators due to concerns about the Covid-19.
“Well, unfortunately, we may not have as many viewers watching the match at the stadium, but most people will be watching TV anyway,” Kono said.
Delays in the launch of vaccines in Japan
Japan will have to vaccinate the country’s elderly people from Monday, moving on to the next stage of its vaccine launch which has been hampered by delays in vaccine delivery.
So far, less than 1% of the population has been vaccinated, according to Kono, but he is confident that inoculations will go to full intensity in mid-May when European Union vaccines arrive.
“Unfortunately, we have not been able to develop a vaccine at the national level and we have to rely on the import of the vaccine from the EU,” Kono said. “Right now, we have authorized the Pfizer vaccine and it will start for the elderly next Monday.”
He said the vaccine developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca will be “very important” as it will be manufactured in Japan, which would eliminate some negotiations.
His interview took place hours before drug regulators in the EU and the UK announced on Wednesday that there could be a possible link between the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine and rare blood clotting problems. Both regulators, however, noted that the benefits of getting the vaccine still outweigh the risks.
My job is to get the vaccine to Japan from Europe and (vacate) as many people as possible.
Tara Kono
Minister of Vaccines of Japan
“The biggest headache for me is going through the EU’s transparency mechanism,” Kono said, referring to a measure that allows EU member states to impose restrictions on vaccine exports.
“If we have (a) a domestic vaccine or a nationally produced vaccine … more than half of my headache (would have disappeared),” he said.
Asked whether his treatment of Japan’s coronavirus outbreak could affect his chances of being the next prime minister, Kono was ruled out.
“My job is to get the vaccine to Japan from Europe and vaccinate as many people as possible,” he said. “You don’t have to think about the prime minister. She just has to do her job, protect the (lives) of the people.”