Japan confirm they WILL allow crowds of up to 10,000 into events at the Olympics, just a month before the Games begin... but Prime Minister warns he will CLOSE venues if Tokyo's Covid cases rise
Organizers of the Tokyo Olympic Games have fixed spectator limits for the event at 50 per cent of a venue's capacity, up to a maximum of 10,000.
The decision was taken following a meeting on Monday morning involving local organizers, the International Olympic and Paralympic Committees, the Tokyo metropolitan government and the national government.
Japan's top coronavirus advisor had told organizers on Friday that the best way to limit the risk of spread was to hold the events behind closed doors, but organisers have opted to follow the existing government limits for sports events in the country.
'In light of the government's restrictions on public events, the spectator limit for the Olympic Games will be set at 50 per cent of venue capacity, up to a maximum of 10,000 people at all venues,' a statement from Tokyo 2020 read.
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said he would not rule out holding the summer Olympics in Tokyo without spectators if the capital was under a state of emergency
Organisers said students in the schools' spectator programme would not be considered within these limits, and would be treated separately.
If a state of emergency or other priority measures are imposed after July 12, restrictions on spectator numbers will be based on the content of the state of emergency or other relevant measures in force at the time.
The competition schedule remains unchanged.
Spectators must refrain from shouting or speaking loudly, the statement said, and must travel direct to the venue and return immediately home afterwards.
Tokyo 2020 organising committee president Seiko Hashimoto said: 'We acknowledge that there is uncertainty around the pandemic so we need to be flexible.
'If there is any abrupt change in the situation, we will be holding a five-party meeting to make decisions.
'If there's an announcement of a state of emergency, all options will be examined by the stakeholders.'
Suga last week decided to lift a coronavirus state of emergency for Tokyo and eight other areas that had seen a Covid-19 resurgence
Organisers of the Tokyo Olympics unveiled the large athletes' village to the media on Sunday
A replica of a bedroom, including its furniture and cardboard beds, is pictured in display room
Tokyo 2020 chief executive Toshiro Muto said delegates and sponsors would be classed as organisers, and therefore not part of the spectator cap.
Muto was asked about media reports that the real attendance for the opening ceremony on July 23 could be closer to 20,000 due to VIPs and other stakeholders. He said he thought the total number would be lower than that.
Asked why they had gone against the advice of public health expert Dr Shigeru Omi, Hashimoto said: 'There are so many cases, domestically and internationally (of) sports events with spectators.
'By exercising thorough measures and based on the government criteria, we believe we can hold the Games with spectators.
'The entire world is facing the same issues and we have to work together to overcome them.'
Athletes still face the prospect of competing in front of no fans in Tokyo as Japan's Prime Minister refused to rule out the delayed Games going ahead behind closed doors if the capital is under a state of emergency due to coronavirus.
Japan is moving ahead with staging the multi-billion-dollar Games, which were delayed by a year due to pandemic, despite public opposition and the warnings from health officials.
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said earlier on Monday that he would not rule out holding the Summer Olympics in Tokyo without spectators if the capital was under a state of emergency.
Health experts are warning that big crowds risk fuelling a resurgence in Covid-19 infections
'In the event a state of emergency was declared then we can't rule out not having spectators,' Suga told reporters during a tour of vaccination sites in Tokyo.
Monday's meeting comes after some of Japan's top health experts on Friday said that banning spectators was the least risky option for holding the Games, even as they seemed resigned to the possibility of fans in venues.
Japan's public remains opposed to holding the Games this summer, a June 19-20 poll from Asahi News Network (ANN) found, with 65 per cent of respondents saying they wanted the event postponed again or cancelled.
Unnamed member of Uganda's Olympics team tested positive for Covid after arriving in Japan
Uganda's group all had two doses of the vaccine and were negative 72 hours before travelling
Nearly 70 per cent of respondents said they thought the Games would not be held safely and securely, as advocated by the government and Olympic organisers, the poll showed.
Suga last week decided to lift a coronavirus state of emergency for Tokyo and eight other areas that had seen a Covid-19 resurgence.
The government kept in place lesser, 'quasi-emergency' restrictions for seven of the nine areas, including Tokyo, that will run until July 11, less than two weeks before the Games are set to open on July 23.
The outside of the village has drawn on minimalistic designs and follows the Olympics' theme
A view of the National Stadium, main venue for Olympic and Paralympic Games, on Monday
One of Uganda's Tokyo 2020 Olympic squad tested positive for the new coronavirus on arrival in Japan on Saturday, the first time an infection has been confirmed in an overseas team, NHK reported.
Nine athletes and coaches arrived at Narita airport, near Tokyo, at around 6pm, with one of them testing positive during a screening at the airport, the national broadcaster said.
That individual is now staying at a government-designated facility, while the others travelled on to their host city in Osaka, where they will hold their training camp, NHK said.
All of Uganda's team members had received two shots of AstraZeneca's vaccine and had tested negative 72 hours before departing for Japan, according to the report.
The Uganda team was the second group of foreign athletes to arrive for the tournament, following the arrival of the Australian women's softball squad on June 1.
Organisers opened the athletes' village to the media on Sunday , showing off apartments and a timber-laced shopping plaza where 11,000 athletes would stay and mingle during the sporting extravaganza.
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