Two Games attendees in hospital as Japan COVID-19 cases surge (updated)
29/07/2021 05:38
* Surge in cases raises concerns about hospitals
* Top medical adviser urges stronger risk message
* IOC not aware of any transmission from inside Olympic
bubble
(Adds expansion of state of emergency, Suga comment)
By Kiyoshi Takenaka and Takashi Umekawa
TOKYO, July 29 (Reuters) - Two people attending the Tokyo
Olympics from overseas have been admitted to hospital with
COVID-19, a Tokyo 2020 spokesperson said on Thursday, as daily
cases in the host city and Japan as a whole hit new highs.
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga denied there was any link
between the games and the simultaneous rise in cases in the
country. He said the government will decide on Friday whether to
extend a state of emergency, already imposed on Tokyo and
Okinawa, to additional regions, without saying where.
Such a declaration lets the authorities take extra measures
such as shutting bars, although Japan has never ordered a full
lockdown and most pandemic restrictions outside Tokyo's "Olympic
bubble" are voluntary.
Public broadcaster NHK reported that an emergency was set to
be declared for three prefectures surrounding Tokyo and western
Japan's Osaka from Aug. 2-31, and extended in Tokyo and Okinawa
to the end of August.
The Japanese capital announced a record 3,865 daily
infections on Thursday, up from 3,177 a day earlier. Daily cases
nationwide topped 10,000 for the first time, domestic media
reported.
This week's spike prompted the government's top medical
adviser to urge a "stronger, clearer" message about the growing
risks from the pandemic, including to the increasingly strained
medical system.
Games spokesperson Masa Takaya told reporters neither
Games-related case was serious and that a third hospitalised
person had already been discharged, declining to give details.
Organisers announced 24 new Games-related infections,
including three athletes, taking the total since July 1 to 193.
Competitors in the July 23-Aug. 8 Games and other attendees
from around the world must follow strict rules to prevent any
spread of the virus within the "Olympic bubble" or to the wider
city. Spectators are banned from most venues.
"As far as I'm aware, there is not a single case of
infection spreading to Tokyo's population from the athletes or
Olympic movement," International Olympic Committee spokesperson
Mark Adams told a daily media briefing.
Asked about a link between a surge in positive cases and the
Olympics, Prime Minister Suga said, "I don't think there is any.
In order to avoid the spread of infection from foreigners to the
Japanese, strict border measures are being taken."
But experts worry that holding the Games sends a confusing
message to the public about the need to limit activities to
contain the virus as the highly transmissible Delta variant
spreads. Only 26.5% of residents of Japan are fully vaccinated
and testing is scant.
"The biggest crisis is that society does not share a sense
of risk," Japan's top medical adviser Shigeru Omi told a
parliamentary panel on Thursday. "The numbers (for Tokyo)
surpassed 3,000 and this may have some announcement effect.
Without missing this chance, I want the government to send a
stronger, clearer message."
The surge spells trouble for Suga, whose support ratings are
at their lowest since he took office last September, ahead of a
ruling party leadership race and a general election this year.
Omi said vaccinations would help, but other factors could
fuel infections, including the prevalence of the Delta variant,
weariness of restrictions, summer holidays and the Olympics.
Taro Kono, the cabinet minister in charge of the vaccination
rollout, which has hit supply snags recently, told the panel
that all those who wanted shots should be able to get them by
October or November.
The Japan Medical Association urged the government to take
steps to avoid an explosive outbreak, including ensuring
sufficient vaccine supply, Kyodo news agency reported.
More than 60% of Tokyo hospital beds available for serious
COVID-19 cases were filled as of Tuesday, city data showed.
Many people have grown weary even of the relatively loose
restrictions imposed under the city's fourth state of emergency
since the pandemic began, making them less effective.
(Writing by Linda Sieg; reporting by Linda Sieg, Ami Miyazaki,
Kiyoshi Takenaka, Sam Nussey and Takashi Umekawa; Editing by
Lincoln Feast, Catherine Evans, Raju Gopalakrishnan, Peter
Graff)
((linda.sieg@thomsonreuters.com; 81-3-4563-2779; Reuters
Messaging: linda.sieg.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))