Olympics-IOC chief, Tokyo governor to meet as COVID cases rise
15/07/2021 03:47
TOKYO, July 15 (Reuters) - International Olympic Committee
President Thomas Bach and Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike were set
to meet on Thursday, the metropolitan government said, as
COVID-19 cases hit a six-month high in the host city.
Just over a week before the July 23 opening ceremony, Tokyo
reported 1,149 COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, its highest daily
tally since Jan. 22.
It is not clear what the IOC chief and Koike will discuss at
the meeting, which comes a day after Bach met Japanese Prime
Minister Yoshihide Suga.
Postponed last year due to COVID-19 pandemic, the Games have
little public support in Japan amid fears about the spread of
the virus. Several visiting athletes have tested positive on
arrival and a cluster of infections has emerged at a hotel
hosting Brazilian team members.
The Russian women's rugby sevens team are in isolation after
their masseur tested positive, the RIA news agency reported on
Wednesday, as was part of the South African men's rugby team
after a case was detected on their inbound flight. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL8N2OQ3A8
Tokyo entered its fourth state of emergency earlier this
week amid a rebound in COVID-19 cases that pushed Games
organisers to ban spectators from nearly all venues.
Bach said on Wednesday that strict coronavirus measures were
in place with high vaccination rates among participants, limited
mobility for athletes and support staff, spectators banned and
continuous testing.
"This message has to get across. The Japanese people have to
gain confidence in this," he said.
(Reporting by Eimi Yamamitsu; Editing by Stephen Coates)
((eimi.yamamitsu@thomsonreuters.com;))