Toshihiro Nikai, the general secretary of the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan, reportedly said that the cancellation of the Olympic Games was an option that could be considered if the situation regarding the coronavirus pandemic worsens, Kyodo news agency reported today. there are less than a hundred days left until the opening ceremony of the event.
If the rise in new coronavirus cases means it is “impossible” for the Games to take place, “we will have to give up,” the ruling party’s top official was quoted as saying in a televised interview, which has not yet been broadcast, according to Kyodo. , as relayed by the Athenian News Agency.
Japan is facing what experts call the “fourth wave” of the pandemic: yesterday, Wednesday, more than 4,300 cases of SARS-CoV-2 were recorded nationwide. The Osaka prefecture, the epicenter of the crisis, is breaking one record after another: yesterday it recorded 1,130 cases, an unprecedented number.
In total, according to official figures from the Ministry of Health, Japan has recorded nearly 9,500 deaths due to COVID-19 out of a total of approximately 510,000 SARS-CoV-2 cases.
Nevertheless, the government of Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga continues to make intensive preparations for the Games with strict protection and social distance measures and restrictions on spectators.
Typically, the Olympic Games, which were postponed last year, start on July 23rd.
Polls suggest that a very small percentage of Japanese are in favor of holding the event properly amid the global pandemic. The phrase “cancellation of the Olympic Games” was among the most popular among the country’s citizens using the social networking site Twitter, with over 20,000 references.
The Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games did not respond when asked for comment by the Reuters news agency. So far, he insists that the event will be held normally and safely.
