Tokyo begins vaccinating Olympic staff – experts recommend not watching spectators during games

Tokyo on Friday began vaccinating thousands of volunteers and workers for the Summer Olympics. Everyone who will be in close contact with athletes from all over the world should receive the vaccination. Employees in the Olympic Village, airport staff, representatives of the Olympic and Paralympic committees and some of the 70,000 volunteers are eligible for vaccinations. The International Olympic Committee provided a total of 40,000 doses of vaccine.

It is still not clear if the Summer Games will be held in front of the public. A group of experts recommended that the government close matches on Friday. “No audience means less risk of injury” and therefore would be “ideal”, They announced in a report to the government and the organizing committee. A decision is expected to be made in this regard next week. Foreign viewers are not allowed to attend the Tokyo Olympics in any case.

The Summer Olympics begin on July 23. Organizers and the Japanese government are sticking to the date, even though many Japanese have rejected the major sporting event amid the coronavirus pandemic. So far, only six percent of Japan’s 125 million people have been fully vaccinated.