Tokyo 2020 Olympics: daily Covid tests, no watching events and disciplinary action as Japan tries to avoid superspreader Games
- Strict measures introduced in revised version of IOC’s ‘Playbook’ for a safe Olympics in Japan
All participants are also required to take two Covid-19 tests before flying to Japan, according to the updated “Playbook” of antivirus measures released on Wednesday. The document was prepared by the Tokyo Organising Committee, the International Olympic Committee and the International Paralympic Committee.
If athletes violate the guidelines, a disciplinary commission will take appropriate measures though there is no precise process yet, IOC Executive Director Christophe Dubi said at a press conference. Vaccination of athletes will remain non-obligatory as accessibility and priority differ from country to country, and doesn’t offer 100 per cent protection, he said.
Scrutiny over hosting the world’s biggest sporting event during a pandemic has increased in recent weeks. Over 10,000 athletes and more than 50,000 others are expected to gather, even after foreign spectators have been banned. Experts fear that inadequate infection measures could lead to a superspreader event.
Tokyo and other urban areas entered their third state of emergency this month as infections rose, partially due to the spread of new virus variants. Covid-19 vaccinations have started on the island nation, but are moving at a slow pace, with less than two per cent of the population inoculated.
Japan’s borders have been effectively shut to non-citizens and non-residents during the pandemic. Tokyo reported this week its first confirmed case of the virus variant that’s spreading widely in India.