Fans Are Banned from the Olympic Games Due to New Tokyo Ordinances
- A new state of emergency order from Tokyo officials issued earlier this month has effectively blocked fans from coming to see the Olympics in person.
- Due to increases in new COVID-19 cases in Tokyo and beyond, local spectators living in Japan won’t be in attendance despite previous allocations for half-capacity arenas.
- You may see some fans in the stands, as a few nearby cities are hosting events that are welcoming spectators.
It’s hard to ignore that most of your favorite events at the Tokyo Games are totally devoid of cheering fans. If you’ve been anxiously awaiting the delayed 2020 Olympics, you’ll recall that event organizers in Japan had determined back in March that international travelers wouldn’t be able to attend the Games in person. That said, however, Japanese officials were planning to host as many as 10,000 local fans at some events.
Those living in Tokyo as well as other nearby districts (known as “prefectures”) were expected to be invited to most events at 50% total capacity. But Olympic officials have since changed their stance.
Why are there no spectators at the Tokyo Olympics?
The Olympics are now shifting to a spectator-less event schedule after Tokyo officials declared a new state of emergency in early July. According to CNN reports, Tokyo venues will remain largely empty to lower COVID-19 transmission risks for Olympians as well as support staff, sports media and other local authorities as part of the new executive order.
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While Tokyo Games officials had previously told members of the press that as much as 80% of athletes would be vaccinated prior to the opening ceremony, rising COVID-19 cases in Tokyo triggered officials to announce a state of emergency.
“Many people were looking forward to watching the games at the venues, but I would like everyone to fully enjoy watching the games on TV at home,” Yuriko Koike, Tokyo’s Governor, told reporters with the Associated Press. Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga added that COVID-19 variants are largely to blame for the last-minute emergency order.
