In March, IOC president Thomas Bach said: “The question is not whether, the question is how these Olympic Games will take place.”
Until then, comments from some local officials and other prominent stakeholders had appeared to leave ajar the door of doubt. The Japanese government, though, said reports that they had privately conceded that the Games had to be cancelled were “categorically untrue”.
The public in Japan also seem to be harbouring their own reservations regarding the Games going ahead. Various opinion polls over the last year have consistently revealed that the majority of Japanese citizens are not in favour – albeit dissenting voices have gone down from around 80% to just under 60% in the most recent survey.
As for the Covid situation in Japan, it has been much less severe than in many other countries around the world, including the United Kingdom. The total number of Covid-related deaths recorded in the country as of early April was around 9,300.
However, the infection rates in the Tokyo metropolitan area have been on the increase, reaching their highest numbers since the beginning of February, with the number of reported infections around 500 cases per day.
That has led to authorities re-imposing emergency restrictions around restaurant and bar opening hours, with Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike saying it was “urgent” to take such measures, “or we are bound to see a situation where infections will spread and become more serious”.
Nevertheless, with the publication of the playbooks, as well as other safety measures put in place, it appears that the Games will indeed be going ahead on 23 July, albeit in quite a different form.
Among the many protocols already outlined in order to manage the risk of infections, the biggest has been the decision to prohibit international spectators and volunteers from travelling to Japan for the Games.
Organisers could even limit numbers of local spectators. The Olympic torch relay began on 26 March in Japan but in order to minimise crowds the names of celebrities carrying the flame are not being released until 30 minutes before their leg begins.
In Osaka, Japan’s second city and the current Covid epicentre in the country, the relay has been moved to take place in a park closed off from the public completely.
Despite safety measures and assurances, one nation has so far announced they will not take part, with North Korea saying their decision was taken in order to protect their athletes from Covid infection.
Bach has said that although participants will be encouraged to get a coronavirus vaccine, it will not be compulsory.
New Zealand has started vaccinating its athletes after its government classified Olympians as having “national significance”.
On Wednesday, British Olympic Association (BOA) chairman Sir Hugh Robertson told BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme: “We would love to get everybody [athletes] vaccinated before we go [to Tokyo]. The government is saying that all adults will be vaccinated by the end of July, so we’re reasonably confident.”
