Tokyo Olympics with 100 days left… NYT “terrible timing” pandemic warning

The Tokyo Olympics is just 100 days ahead of the 14th. However, as the situation of the new coronavirus infection (Corona 19) in Japan is getting serious, voices from inside and outside express concern about the enforcement of the event.

In Japan, there is a clear corona 4 epidemic, with more than 1,000 confirmed cases appearing for the first time in Osaka on the 13th. There were 3,455 confirmed cases nationwide, including 1099 in Osaka Prefecture and 510 in Tokyo. As of Tuesday, where the number of infected people is relatively small, it is the highest since January 26, when an emergency was in effect in 11 cities across the country.

For this reason, the Olympic Torch Relay, held in the Osaka area on the 13th and 14th, was held as a’half-sized’ event without spectators. It was conducted in an unusual way in which runners divided 15 sections of about 200m each in the empty World Expo (Expo) commemorative park after canceling all the road schedules.

In Japan, Osaka Prefecture, Hyogo Prefecture, Miyagi Prefecture from the 5th, Tokyo, Kyoto Prefecture, Okinawa Prefecture from the 12th, the pre-emergency declaration, “prevention of spreading, etc. Focused measures (hereinafter referred to as “critical measures”) have been applied. Restaurants, etc. are open only until 8 pm, and citizens are asked to refrain from going out unnecessary.

The Tokyo Olympics will start on July 23 and close on August 8. It is time for full-scale preparations to proceed, but noise comes from all over the place. The test competitions for each sport, which the Tokyo Olympic Organizing Committee had planned to hold from April, were completely canceled because the entry of athletes and others did not proceed properly. According to NHK on the 14th, a total of around 600 people must be selected for the Japanese national team, but only 137 people, less than 20%, have been decided so far.

A more serious problem is securing medical staff. The organizing committee estimates that a total of 10,000 medical workers, including 300 doctors and 400 nurses, will be needed per day during the Olympics and Paralympic Games, but medical institutions are showing difficulties. Considering the increasing number of Corona 19 patients and the number of people in need of vaccination, it is difficult to secure medical staff who will be dispatched to the Olympics.

As the number of infected patients did not decrease despite the application of key measures, the Osaka Prefecture announced that it would request the government to re-issue the “declaration of emergency”, but the government is showing a difficult situation. This is because if an emergency declaration is made again under the current situation, there is a high possibility that a setback in the Tokyo Olympics, which is approaching three months in the future.

Yasutoshi Nishimura, who is in charge of countermeasures against the coronavirus, was asked by opposition lawmakers at the National Assembly on the 9th, “Can we hold the Olympics even in the state of critical measures or emergencies?” I will not answer,” he avoided. The Tokyo newspaper interpreted that the attitude of the Japanese government, which had replied, “We will hold the Olympics after the infection is completely suppressed,” has changed, saying, “We will hold the Olympics no matter how widespread the infection.”

Instead of the Japanese government in a difficult situation, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) emerged. IOC coordinator David Gotz said in a video commemorating the D-100th day of the Tokyo Olympics, “The tournament is definitely held. I can assure you that this Olympics will be the safest.”

However, foreign media are releasing articles in a row requesting the suspension of the Olympics. The New York Times posted an article titled’It is time to reconsider the Olympics’ on the 12th (local time), pointing out that the current situation of Corona 19 in Japan is a “terrible timing” for hosting the Olympics. They also feared that if the IOC and the Japanese government enforced this, it could be a “a three-week superspreader event.”

The British Guardian also published an editorial titled’Does the Show Need to Continue?’ on the 12th. The Guardian pointed out that in the current global infection situation, “Japan and the IOC should ask themselves if the event can be justified.” It’s nothing,” he insisted.

Tokyo = Correspondent Lee Young-hee [email protected]