Tokyo 2020: Japan plans to allow some spectators at Olympics, TV Asahi says

Organisers are preparing to let domestic fans attend the games and spectators would be required to provide a negative virus test or a vaccination certificate, TV Asahi said on Tuesday. Fans from overseas are not allowed to see the events in person.

Preparations for the Olympics are stepping up despite continued opposition from a public concerned that what was intended to be a celebration of the world’s victory over the virus could instead become a superspreader event. A slow start to the country’s vaccination programme means only about 12 million doses have been administered to Japan’s 126 million people, leaving the bulk of the population at risk.

Separately, some members of a government expert panel say the current level of virus spread – defined by authorities as “explosive” – would make it hard to stage the Olympics from July 23, the Asahi newspaper reported. The experts are set to publish their opinion this month, the paper said.

Japan’s government has laid out four levels of concern under the pandemic, based on metrics including the pace of infections and the availability of hospital beds. With the seven-day moving average of new cases in the capital still over 500, the capital remains in the most serious category – Stage 4.