IOC's Coates says staging Olympic Games is for the sake of athletes

TOKYO • The rescheduled Tokyo 2020 Olympics will go on even if a state of emergency is declared in the city this summer, a top official said on Friday, dismissing once again the suggestion that the Covid-19 pandemic might force a postponement or cancellation of the global sports showcase.

"We have successfully seen five sports hold test events during a state of emergency," John Coates, a vice-president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), said at the end of a three-day virtual meeting to address preparations.

"All of the plans to protect safety and security of athletes are based around worst-possible circumstances.

"So the answer is absolutely yes (the Games will go on)."

Polls in Japan have shown that the majority - nearly 70 per cent - of citizens would prefer another postponement or cancellation altogether of the Olympics, which are scheduled to open on July 23.

There are fears in Japan that the Games - if they become a virus "super-spreader" event - would present a burden to a medical system already under strain.

In a letter sent on Friday to national Olympic committees, athletes, broadcasters and others, Coates, who serves as the chairman of the IOC's coordination commission for Tokyo, said the organisation was now "very delivery-focused".

"We're doing it for the athletes," he said in his news conference.

"The desire of the athletes is as high as ever. We want to give athletes the opportunity to compete."

He added that recent polls reflected the mood of the country at the moment but that "I am expecting as the number of vaccinations increase, public opinion will improve".

But if popular opinion does not improve, he said: "Then our position is, we just have to make sure that we get on with our job.

"And our job is to ensure these Games are safe for all of the participants and all the people who might come into contact with the participants."

He expected 80 per cent of athletes who arrive for the Games would be vaccinated, and he noted that some countries - including his native Australia - are moving to vaccinate journalists and others headed to Tokyo.

He added that additional medical personnel would be part of the foreign Olympic delegations to support the medical operations and the implementation of the Covid-19 countermeasures at the Games.

Japan is behind many wealthy countries in administering coronavirus vaccines to its citizens - only 4.1 per cent of the populations has received doses - and at the moment only health workers and older people are eligible.

On Friday, in an effort to speed up vaccinations, Japan approved the Moderna and AstraZeneca vaccines for use in adults.

Previously, only the Pfizer vaccine had been authorised for use in Japan.

Japan is in the midst of a fourth wave of infections, and Tokyo and eight other prefectures are under a state of emergency that will last at least until the end of this month.

Japan has been reporting about 5,500 cases a day, compared with about 1,000 a day in early March.

Seiko Hashimoto, president of the organising committee, outlined measures she said would keep the Games safe, including additional testing.

But she acknowledged that many in Japan "feel uneasy at the prospect of people coming in from overseas and mixing".

She added that the Olympics would rely on 230 doctors and 300 nurses a day, about 50,000 to 60,000 coronavirus tests would be carried out daily and that the organisers have secured about 80 per cent of the medical staff they need.

"We want to make sure we secure medical personnel in a way that will not burden local medical services," said Ms Hashimoto.

NYTIMES, REUTERS