Japan virus expert ‘pessimistic’ Olympics could be held in 2021
A Japanese expert who has criticised the country’s response to the coronavirus warned Monday that he is “pessimistic” that the postponed Olympics could be held even in 2021.
“To be honest with you I don’t think the Olympics may very well be held next year,” said Kentaro Iwata, a professor of infectious diseases at Kobe University.
Japan and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) agreed last month to delay the Tokyo 2020 Games until July 2021, after pressure from athletes and sports federations.
However in recent days, as the coronavirus pandemic continues to spread worldwide, there were questions about whether even a year-long delay will be sufficient.
“Holding (the) Olympics needs two conditions, one: controlling COVID-19 in Japan and (two) controlling COVID-19 everywhere, because you must invite the athletes and the audience from around the world,” Iwata told journalists at a press briefing.
“Japan might be able to control this disease by next summer, I wish we could, but I don’t think that would happen everywhere on Earth, so in this regard I’m very pessimistic about holding the Olympics Games next summer.”
Iwata said he could only start to see the Games being held next year if indeed they were significantly altered, “such as for example no audience, or not a lot of participation”.
Iwata hit the news earlier this season for his public criticism of Japan’s handling of the coronavirus-wracked Diamond Princess cruise ship that docked off the country’s coast.
Japanese officials opted to carry out an on-ship quarantine, but a lot more than 700 people up to speed finished up contracting the virus, and 13 died.
Your choice to postpone the Olympics is unprecedented in peacetime, and followed a wave of complaints from athletes facing travel bans and lockdowns.
The postponement is an enormous undertaking, but organisers have insisted they are working towards the brand new opening date despite ongoing uncertainty about when the pandemic will be over.
There is “no Plan B”, Tokyo 2020 spokesman Masa Takaya told reporters at an online briefing on the other day.
