Japan extends virus emergency until month before Games

TOKYO: Japan’s government on Friday extended a coronavirus emergency in Tokyo and other parts of the country until just a month before the Olympics, fuelling doubts about whether the Games can go ahead safely.

Organisers said they would now wait to take a decision on whether to allow local fans at the Games until the emergency ends on June 20, just weeks before the opening ceremony.

Overseas fans have already been barred, in an unprecedented decision as organisers battle to convince Japan’s sceptical public that the Games can go ahead and will be safe.

Japan has seen a comparatively small virus outbreak, with around 12,500 deaths, and has avoided tough lockdowns. But a fourth wave has prompted the government to put emergency measures in place in 10 regions including the capital.