The Summer Olympics and Paralympics, set to take place in Tokyo, Japan, will not be open to spectators traveling from outside of Japan. This is done to limit the spread of COVID-19 during the Games, and foreign residents who have purchased tickets to attend the Olympics will receive a refund.
‘We are currently working on specific plans to share support remotely from around the world and help bring people together in ways suited to our current times,’ Tokyo 2020 President Hashimoto Seiko said in a statement. ‘Even if you are no longer able to come to Japan this summer, we hope very much that you will continue to support the Tokyo 2020 Games.’
The Games were originally slated to take place between July 24 and August 9 in 2020 and will now take place between July 23 and August 8. The Paralympics were also delayed and will now take place between August 24 until September 5, 2021.
The organizers noted that emerging coronavirus variants continue to raise concern and that the situation with COVID-19 in Japan and elsewhere remains challenging. They also pointed to severe international travel restrictions put in place by countries around the world and said overseas travelers may well be prohibited from entering Japan this summer.
‘We will continue to do our utmost to deliver a safe and secure Games in the hopes that the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 will be a light of hope for people all over the world.’
Picture: Olympics
