The relay of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic torch will begin in Fukushima prefecture on March 25, 2021 with several countermeasures to the Covid-19, officials announced on Thursday.
The Olympics were originally scheduled for last summer, but were postponed until this year due to the pandemic. In recent months, the Games have been a point of controversy, with rumors of cancellations as Japan handles a wave of cruel cases, but authorities have insisted the event will go ahead.
The torch will first pass through regions affected by the devastating 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami marking the tenth anniversary of the disaster, before traveling “to every corner of Japan,” officials said.
Covid-19 countermeasures they include avoiding “the 3 C’s: closed spaces, crowded places, close contact settings.” Those who want to see the relief from the road should wear masks, stay home if they feel unwell and refrain from traveling outside the prefecture where they live.
Viewers are also told to “support with applause or using distributed merchandise instead of shouting or cheering.” The relay will also be broadcast live online.
Torchbearers should complete a daily health checklist two weeks before the relay and refrain from activities that could lead to a risk of infection, such as eating out or going to crowded places, according to officials.
“The Olympic torch relay will be an event for everyone and, amid the global threat of Covid-19, it will give hope and courage to people across Japan,” Tokyo 2020 officials said on Thursday.
Covid cases: The announcement comes as Japan registered 912 new infections and 63 deaths as of Wednesday, according to the country’s health ministry. This brings the national total to 429,265 cases and 7,660 deaths.