Spectators banned from Tokyo Olympic venues due to Covid rise

Olympic venues in Tokyo will not be able to admit spectators for this summer’s Games after the coronavirus pandemic forced the declaration of a new state of emergency in the Japanese capital, Tokyo 2020 organising committee president Seiko Hashimoto has said.

Organisers had hoped that Japanese residents would be able to attend the Games, and last month announced that venues could be 50% full, up to a maximum of 10,000 people.

However, a rise in coronavirus infections has forced the Japanese government to reimpose more stringent measures from Monday until August 22, and organisers confirmed on Thursday that Games venues in the Tokyo prefecture would now not be allowed to admit spectators.

“This is a sorry message that we have to announce, but this was the only choice available to take,” Hashimoto said.

Tokyo 2020 chief executive Toshiro Muto confirmed that “stakeholders” such as IOC members, international federation executives and national Olympic committee executives would still be allowed to attend.

“These are not spectators, they have roles to play,” Muto said, before confirming that “key clients” such as sponsors would not be able to attend events where the general public were barred.

Muto said there would be a review of the medical provision for the Games in light of the decision on spectators.

Children involved in a schools programme had been exempt from initial capacity limits, but Muto confirmed that in prefectures where spectators were now not permitted it was “most appropriate” to suspend plans to let them in.