Spectators From Overseas Are Barred From Tokyo Olympics - The New York Times - 0 views
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Spectators from overseas will not be allowed to attend the Summer Olympics in Japan, organizers said on Saturday, making a major concession to the realities of Covid-19 even as they forged ahead with plans to hold the world’s largest sporting event.
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The Tokyo Games, which begin in July, were originally scheduled for 2020 but were delayed by a year because of the pandemic.
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Seiko Hashimoto, president of the Tokyo committee, promised at a news conference on Saturday that the lack of international spectators would not spoil the Games.
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The organizing committees will now have the enormous headache of arranging refunds for ticket buyers. Overseas buyers purchased 600,000 tickets to Olympic events, as well as 30,000 tickets to the Paralympic Games starting in August, organizers said.
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Officials said on Saturday that they would meet again in April to discuss how many spectators would be allowed into Olympic venues.
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Thomas Bach, the president of the I.O.C., has encouraged national organizing committees to secure vaccines for athletes, and he announced this month that China had offered to provide vaccinations for participants who required one ahead of the Games.
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Japanese fans could take up some of the slack. Local demand for tickets far outstripped the supply, at least before the pandemic.
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Japan declared a widespread state of emergency in early January after a rise in infections. Since then, most areas have lifted the declaration. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announced this week that it would be ended in Tokyo.
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Barring foreign spectators is unlikely to allay the public’s concerns about the Games, given that thousands of athletes, coaches, officials and journalists will still come for the event.
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“Since we are being barred, it is only right for them to make everyone whole and refund all of the money paid,” Mr. Brown said before the announcement was made.
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“It would be real painful watching this at home on TV and knowing they have the money, and not knowing when you’re going to get it back.”