- Originally, 10,000 local fans were going to be admitted to Olympic events.
- Foreign fans were banned in March, and organizers repeatedly delayed a decision on whether to allow Japanese fans.
- The announcement is a blow for Tokyo organizers and will add to the cost of the Games for the Japanese people.
There will be no fans at the Tokyo Olympics.
The announcement Thursday followed the declaration of a new state of emergency, which takes effect Monday and goes through Aug. 22. The Games begin July 23 and end Aug. 8.
“The priority will be to determine safe and secure Games,” Tokyo 2020 president Seiko Hashimoto said at a news conference following a meeting with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, the government of Japan, the International Olympic Committee and International Paralympic Committee.
“We wanted to full stadium so community people could get involved in welcoming the athletes so we could have a full presentation of the power of sports,” she added. “However, now faced with COVID-19 we have no other choice but to hold the Games in a limited way.”
There is still a chance fans could be allowed at events held outside of Tokyo in areas that are not under a state of emergency.
“We will discuss,” Olympic minister Tamayo Marukawa said.
Foreign fans were banned in March, and organizers repeatedly delayed a decision on whether to allow Japanese fans. On June 21, organizers announced there would be a limited number of spectators, with venue capacity capped at 50 percent…
