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It’s a word that makes those in charge and fans of the Olympics shudder a good three months before the scheduled start of the Tokyo Olympics: a state of emergency. And this is exactly the word that will be used again in Japan on Friday.
As reported by the “Kyodo” news agency according to “Süddeutsche Zeitung”, the Prime Minister of Japan, Yoshihide Suga, has imposed the newly introduced status of “semi-emergency” due to the increasing number of corona infections. In a total of three prefectures, including Osaka and Hyogo. So where the state of emergency was lifted in early March. Japanese policy against the coronavirus appears to have failed.
The corona pandemic in Japan is relatively mild compared to Europe. This is due to the fact that the island nation has largely stopped entry into the country. Holding the Olympic Games would completely contradict this approach.
Japan has recorded a total of 480,000 corona infections in about 120 million people since the pandemic began. For comparison: Switzerland, with a good 8 million inhabitants, has so far recorded 605,000 cases.
The problem in Japan, however, is that there are doubts about how resilient the healthcare system is in the crown crisis. With 9,100 deaths, the virus claimed almost the same number of victims as in Switzerland (9,700).
In early March, the numbers in Japan briefly dropped to fewer than 1,000 new infections per day. As of Friday there were 2,700 new cases registered.
The number of corona infections is increasing rapidly in the country and that also calls into question whether the games, which are supposed to start on July 23, will take place. The gigantic sporting event is still holding its own. The emergency declarations are there to secure the games.
Torch lit before cancellation, test competition canceled
But the warning signs for the Olympics are glowing dark red. The Olympic torch, which has been traveling in Japan for a week, is already failing. The planned stage of the season through the city of Osaka is likely to be canceled in mid-April, as Osaka Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura explains.
The Diving World Cup in Tokyo was already canceled on Friday. There, the athletes should have qualified for the games on April 18-23. Another test event for the games is in shambles.
“Japan is dangerous, not a safe place”
The critical voices of the experts are getting louder. “The risks are great in Japan,” for example, Norio Sugaya, an infectious disease specialist at Keiyu Hospital in Yokohama, told the AP news agency. “Japan is dangerous, it is not a safe place at all.”
According to Sugaya, it would be better to “cancel the games” due to the considerable risks involved. The challenge of allowing tens of thousands of foreigners to enter the country in a short period of time is enormous, especially since vaccination is not yet required.
Posted: April 3, 2021, 12:00 pm
Last Updated: April 3, 2021, 6:57 pm
