The Olympics are due to take place between July 23 and Aug. 8 in Japan, and they are not planned to be delayed to a later date.
According to Kyodo News, the Japanese government has decided to exclude overseas spectators from attending this summer's Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, as part of efforts to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, officials with knowledge of the matter said Tuesday.
The government has concluded that welcoming fans from abroad is not possible given concerns among the Japanese public over the coronavirus and the fact that more contagious variants have been detected in many countries, according to the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
"We would really like people from around the world to come to a full stadium, but unless we are prepared to accept them and the medical situation in Japan is perfect, it will cause a great deal of trouble also to visitors from overseas," Seiko Hashimoto, president of the Japanese committee, told reporters last week.
The opening ceremony of the relay will be held without spectators as well to prevent the spread of the virus, officials with knowledge of the planning also said Tuesday.
