The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games (which due to COVID-19 will now be held in 2021) remain in doubt, since despite being confirmed from July 23 to August 8, a new warning sign was issued this Monday, May 25, by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States.
This is because they placed Japan at level 4 on their travel scale (which represents the highest risk for territories with high contagion), thus advising against travel to the Japanese country.
The State Department said the pandemic continues to pose “unprecedented risks” to travelers: “In light of those risks, the Department of State strongly recommends U.S. citizens reconsider all international travel.”
However, on May 25, after learning of the new travel advisory, the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee said: “We are confident that the current mitigation practices in place for athletes and staff by both the USOPC and the Tokyo Organizing Committee, along with testing prior to travel, upon arrival in Japan, and during the Games, will allow for safe participation by Team USA athletes this summer.”
In Japan, despite high contagion figures, they assure that the Tokyo Olympic Games are not at risk.
Mark Adams, spokesman for the International Olympic Committee (IOC), commented: “There has been a small extension of the state of emergency
Japan recorded 4,590 new COVID-19 cases and 76 deaths in the last 24 hours, according to the latest data from the World Health Organization.
“The Olympics must be stopped,” said Akira Takasu, head of emergency at the Osaka University Medical and Pharmaceutical Hospital… “This could be a trigger for another disaster this summer.”
