Officials ban spectators from the upcoming Paralympic Games amid rise in Covid cases

The upcoming Paralympic Games in Tokyo will proceed without fans allowed, mirroring the recent Olympic Games Covid protocols.

By Hassan Green

Tokyo, Japan - For the sake of health and safety in Japan while the country still deals with Covid-19, the upcoming Tokyo Paralympic Games will go on in the same manner as the recent Olympic Games, with no fans allowed.

Tokyo committee president Seiko Hashimoto spoke during Monday's press conference regarding the ban of spectators at the upcoming Paralympic Games.
Tokyo committee president Seiko Hashimoto spoke during Monday's press conference regarding the ban of spectators at the upcoming Paralympic Games.  © IMAGO / ZUMA Wire

Authorities in Japan are requiring the events that take place during the upcoming 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games to be free of any spectators, mirroring the environment of the recent Olympic Games held just a few weeks ago.

International Paralympic Committee president Andrew Parsons (44), organizing committee president Seiko Hashimoto, Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike, and Olympic Minister Tamayo Marukawa met to determine the proper protocols for the upcoming Games, set to open on Tuesday of next week.

They announced the official word of the new mandate on Monday.

While there are considerably fewer total athletes expected to compete, approximately 4,400 compared to the 11,000 who participated in the Olympic Games, the number of coronavirus cases in Japan has risen as of late.

This past Friday, Tokyo had a record high number of new cases with 5,773, while two days later, they logged 4,295.

The recent explosion in infections is rumored to have been caused by the recent Olympic Games.

Attendee numbers are heavily regulated for Paralympic participants

The four-party talks ahead of Tokyo Paralympics on Monday included the head of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic organizing committee Seiko Hashimoto (seated, l.), Japan's Olympic minister Tamayo Marukawa (seated, r.), International Paralympic Committee President Andrew Parsons (in r. screen), and Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike (in l. screen).
The four-party talks ahead of Tokyo Paralympics on Monday included the head of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic organizing committee Seiko Hashimoto (seated, l.), Japan's Olympic minister Tamayo Marukawa (seated, r.), International Paralympic Committee President Andrew Parsons (in r. screen), and Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike (in l. screen).  © IMAGO / Kyodo News

Similarly to this year's unprecedented Olympic Games, attendee numbers are heavily regulated for this Paralympics.

Allowances have been so strict in some groups that a number of athletes may be forced to travel without their assistants - some of whom are also close family members. It has caused some competitors to ultimately skip the Games.

Parsons, while speaking at a news conference regarding Monday's decision, said that "in light of the current case numbers in Tokyo and wider Japan, everyone attending these games must be vigilant."

There has been a state of emergency declared in Tokyo since July 12 that was recently extended to September 12 in response to the rise in cases and the ongoing spread of the Delta variant.

Only about 37% of the Japanese population is currently fully vaccinated, according to recent estimates.

The 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games are scheduled to open on August 24 and close on September 5.

Cover photo: IMAGO / NurPhoto

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