Tokyo Olympics 2020 To Be Held Without Spectators Due To Covid-19 Emergency

Tokyo 2020: Seiko Hashimoto, president of the Games said that the situation was "regrettable" and the committee will make sure that the people who bought tickets are refunded. 

(File Photo/ Getty Images)

Tokyo: The Tokyo Olympics 2020 will be played behind closed doors without the spectators. The decision has been taken due to the rising cases of Covid-19 in Japan. 

Tokyo: The Olympic Games are going to start on July 23 in Tokyo, the capital of Japan. But the increasing cases of the Covid-19 in Tokyo have caused another setback for the Japanese government and the organizers of the Olympic Games. In light of rising Covid-19 cases, a meeting with experts was called in which government officials proposed to impose a state of emergency in Japan from next Monday till August 22. 

The Olympic Games were earlier postponed for a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The government of Japan can take more strict decisions because of the Olympic Games. Foreign spectators will not be allowed in the field during the games. 

Seiko Hashimoto, president of the Games said that the situation was "regrettable" and the committee will make sure that the people who bought tickets are refunded. 

Tokyo had earlier banned fans from abroad to enter the city. Only Japanese fans would be present during the games but with this announcement, the scenario has changed again. 

A group of 26 medical experts headed by Dr. Shigeru Omi had (in a report) advised that holding Olympics with fans will increase the risk of the spread of Covid-19.  “We believe the risks of infections inside venues would be lowest by holding the event with no fans,” said the report. Dr Omi is a former World Health Organisation member. 

The Japanese civil society was against holding the Tokyo games with the fans present in the stadium.