Although Tokyo 2020 organizing officials and Japanese authorities had previously expressed confidence that domestic spectators would be able to enjoy the upcoming Olympics at half venue capacity, that decision has now been reversed as Tokyo enters another declared state of emergency. This declaration will run from July 12 through August 22 and comes as coronavirus cases have seen another recent rise.
Latest Covid case data from JHU CSSE COVID-19 Data.
“Taking into consideration the effect of coronavirus variants and not to let the infections spread again to the rest of the nation, we need to strengthen our countermeasures,” Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga told reporters.
At this time, the uptick in cases and the new state of emergency has not affected the forward trajectory of the Games; indeed, athletes are already beginning to arrive in the country, with staff, media and other personnel arriving even earlier to begin their pre-competition quarantine. The U.S. eventing horses departed from USET headquarters in Gladstone, Nj. today bound for JFK airport to fly to Liege airport in Belgium ahead of the team’s pre-Olympic quarantine and training camp in Aachen, Germany. The team will then fly to Tokyo on July 20, where eventing competition begins on July 30.
As for the athletes and other Games stakeholders, including media members, the Tokyo organizing committee has released detailed Playbooks for each group with logistical steps that must be taken to reduce contact, conduct contact tracing and regular Covid testing, and otherwise be able to perform duties in as safe a manner as possible.
We’ll continue to keep you abreast of any changes coming out of Tokyo as we navigate the ever-changing circumstances.
