Covid-19 / Tokyo 2020: "No spectators" will be allowed at Olympic venues in the Japanese capital

There will be "no spectators" at the venues of the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo (23/07 - 08/08/2021) due to the new outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in the Japanese capital, announced Tamayo Marukawa, Japan's Minister of the Olympics, on 08/07/2021, 15 days before the opening ceremony.

On the same day, the Japanese government decided to reinstate a state of emergency in Tokyo for six weeks, from Monday 12/07 to Sunday 22/08/2021. This decision was taken after a meeting attended by Thomas Bach (GER), president of the IOC, who just arrived in Japan.

The presence of foreign spectators had already been excluded for health reasons on 20/03/2021: "The conclusion of the Japanese parties is not to allow entry into Japan for overseas spectators for the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 due to the prevailing worldwide Covid-19 pandemic. Tickets purchased by overseas residents from the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee will be refunded," announced the IOC at the time.

• The Covid-19 pandemic has caused 14,900 deaths in Japan, as of 08/07/2021 (compared to 111,000 in France).
• 15% of the…