Fourth Japanese Corona wave potentially endangers Olympics

Fourth Japanese Corona wave potentially endangers Olympics

The corona situation in Japan is not looking good, according to Bernard Catrysse, liaison officer of the BOIC in Japan and director of Arts Flanders Japan. Japan is currently in a fourth corona wave, but it is much more aggressive than the previous ones. The virus has adopted mutations in Japan, which creates a lot of uncertainty.

Japan doesn't do contact tracing and doesn't test enough. Daily life in Japan continues without a lockdown. Japan is a country that is always eager to map everything out, but fails to do so during the corona crisis.

The population is not enthusiastic about allowing the Games to take place under the current circumstances. A poll conducted among the population shows that 1/3 want an abolition and 40 percent want to postpone the Olympic Games.

At the moment the Games will continue as usual. The organization tries their hardest to map everything out and to ensure that everything proceeds as safely as possible. Vaccinations in Japan are going very slow, at this moment only 1 percent of the population is vaccinated. Japan has its hands full until the end of June with vaccinating people over the age of 65, this group amounts to 30 percent of the total population.

The economic and sporting interests of the Olympic Games are very important, especially because Japan wants to prove itself to China. China is organizing the winter games in 2022, due to the turbulent relationship between Japan and China, Japan will want to prove itself. 

Source: Sporza