January 28 – Tokyo Olympic officials said on Thursday (28th) that vaccination against the novel coronavirus is not mandatory for athletes to participate in the Tokyo Olympic Games this summer.
According to CNN, Olympic officials expect progress in the vaccination plan and hope that the postponed Olympic plan will start in July with as many people as possible.
But Toshirō Mutō, CEO of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, said that the official “will not regard vaccination as a prerequisite for participation”.
At a press conference held on the same day in conjunction with IOC President Thomas Bach, Muto said that it hoped that as many people as possible would be vaccinated, which would bring positive benefits, “but even if we don’t carry out the vaccination, we can hold the game.”
“Vaccines will be administered to athletes, but this is not a mandatory obligation,” Muto added.
Earlier on the 28th, due to travel restrictions issued by Japan, the last art swimming qualification competition scheduled for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games in March has been postponed to May.
The event is also seen as an Olympic test project in response to the coronavirus epidemic. However, according to the International Aquatics Federation, it has now moved from March 4 to 7 to the same venue from May 1 to 4.
Bach had promised that the event would be held on Wednesday (27th), but people still question how Japan could launch such a complex sports event in the midst of a global pandemic.
At present, the global pandemic of the novel coronavirus has infected 100 million people around the world, killing 2 million people.
