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Opinion | Amid a pandemic, Tokyo Olympics is a disaster waiting to happen
- As a growing number of athletes report positive Covid-19 tests, the system of preventive rules set by host Japan and the IOC is already showing cracks before the Games even begin
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The decision by Japan and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to hold the summer Olympics, which starts on July 23, continues to be controversial due to the health risks posed by Covid-19 to all the participants.
The world’s best athletes are being left at the mercy of a government and an international organisation that are supposed to be looking after their well-being. Already, at least 55 people linked to the Olympics have reported positive Covid-19 tests since July 1.
Last Saturday, just a week before the opening of the Games, the Tokyo metropolitan region recorded 1,410 new Covid-19 cases, the highest single-day count since January 21. Infection numbers have been rising since late June across the country, with the health ministry reporting 3,093 new cases last Sunday.
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The surge in cases has already led to the torch relay being taken off Tokyo’s streets, while Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga declared yet another state of emergency in Tokyo, three weeks after it had been lifted.
04:23
Tokyo Olympics case cluster fears rise as first Covid-19 infections found at athletes’ village
Tokyo Olympics case cluster fears rise as first Covid-19 infections found at athletes’ village
One of Japan’s strategies to tackle Covid-19 during the Olympics was to vaccinate its population. The country has 100 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech jabs ready to be administered, but logistical bottlenecks and misallocations have disrupted the roll-out.
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