Tokyo Olympics ‘hard to host’ in 2021 without coronavirus vaccine

THE Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games will be difficult to hold in summer 2021 without a vaccine against coronavirus, the head of Japan’s medical association has warned.

“My opinion is that it will be hard to host them unless an effective vaccine is developed,” Yoshitake Yokokura, said at an online press briefing on Tuesday.

“I am not saying that Japan should or shouldn’t host the Olympics,” he commented, but made the point that even if coronavirus is under control in the host nation by 2021, “it will still be difficult to hold the games unless the pandemic is over in the rest of the world.”

Yokokura urged developers to “step up the pace in (producing) treatments and vaccine.”

But he did not specify whether the association would oppose hosting the games if there is still no vaccine.

Tokyo 2020 was postponed in March due to the Covid-19 pandemic and as it stands is scheduled to get underway in July next year.

In an interview with Nikkan Sports, head of the Tokyo Olympics organising committee Yoshiro Mori said the Games in the Japanese capital could not be further postponed and would be “scrapped” if they cannot take place in 2021.

But he also made it clear the organisers are working towards staging the event as currently planned.

“This Olympics would be much more valuable than any Olympics in the past if we could go ahead with it after winning this battle,” he commented.

“We have to believe this, otherwise our hard work and efforts will not be rewarded.”

Author badge placeholder
Written by

Cathy Elelman

Cathy Elelman is the local writer for the Costa de Almeria edition of the Euro Weekly News.

Based in Mojacar for the last 21 years, Cathy is very much part of the local community and is always well and truly up on all the latest news and events going on in this region of Spain.

Her top goals are to do the best job she can informing the local English-speaking community, visitors to the area and the wider world about about the news in Almeria, to learn something new every day, and to embrace very new challenge this fast-changing world brings her way.

Share your story with us by emailing newsdesk@euroweeklynews.com, by calling +34 951 38 61 61 or by messaging our Facebook page www.facebook.com/EuroWeeklyNews

Comments