Japan Press Weekly

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2021 April 21 - 27 [SOCIAL ISSUES]

Olympic-related events to be held amid ongoing coronavirus restrictions

The government is planning to allow the entry of more than 100 Olympic/Paralympic-related people from abroad into Japan while restrictions in four prefectures, including Tokyo and Osaka, where the third COVID-19 state of emergency has been declared.

According to the Tokyo metropolitan government on April 23, rowing matches will take place in early May in Tokyo's Sea Forest Waterway as an Asia-Oceania preliminary race. About 150 athletes and their staff from 20 countries will participate in the race.

Also, track competitions in the National Stadium and volleyball games in Tokyo's Ariake Arena will be held with no spectators as Olympic test events in early May followed by a cycling competition in mid-May.

Meanwhile, in the prefectures under a state of emergency: restaurants are requested to close earlier and are banned from serving alcoholic drinks; large-scale events have been cancelled; department stores, theaters, movie theaters, galleries, museums, zoos, fitness gyms, amusement parks, sports facilities, and parking lots in public parks have been closed in order to restrict the movement of people.

The Japanese Communist Party demands that the government cancel the Tokyo Games and concentrate on measures to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

Past related article:
> Shii: Gov’t should cancel Tokyo Summer Olympics due to rampage of COVID-19 variants at home and abroad [April 9, 2021]