Japanese Olympic Minister Seiko Hashimoto is determined to hold the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2021 whether the Covid-19 pandemic is still active or not, according to the Japan Times.
The games were originally planned to happen in summer 2020 but the new coronavirus changed that. According to the current plan, it doesn’t matter if the situation gets better or not, the city of Tokyo will do everything to hold the event and keep everyone safe.
“I think we have to hold the games at any cost. I want to concentrate all our efforts on measures against the coronavirus,” said Hashimoto in a recent news conference.
“It will take place with or without COVID. The Games will start on July 23 next year,” the International Olympic Committee vice president John Coates commented.
It’s still unclear how the athletes and the visitors will enter Japan if the borders stay closed as they are right now. It’s unclear if the organizers are hoping for a vaccine to be developed in the meantime or have a different plan, but they promise to do everything in their power to keep the people safe at the event. The safety procedures include testing, rule enforcement, and plans for controlling outbreaks if they happen.