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| Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike speaks to reporters at the metropolitan government headquarters on June 19, 2021. (Photo by=Kyodo) |
[Asia News = Reporter Reakkana] All mass public viewings of this summer's Olympics and Paralympics in the Japanese capital will be canceled as part of precautions against the coronavirus, Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike said on Saturday (June 19), Kyodo reported.
Following her meeting with Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga for about an hour, the governor told reporters that some of the six venues planned to be used for the screenings will instead be offered as COVID-19 vaccination sites. The announcement was made with just about one month to go until the opening of the Tokyo Olympics, with public concern about a potential spike in coronavirus cases driven by more contagious new variants remaining strong, while Japan's vaccination rate is still low compared with many other developed countries.
The meeting between Suga and Koike, the first since May 21, came ahead of an online meeting Monday by organizers of the Olympics and Paralympics at which they will decide on a limit on spectators at the games. Koike added that she has the support over the cancellation of the public events from the prime minister and agreed with him that the pace of the country's vaccination rollout has to be accelerated. The venues of so-called live sites and public viewing venues included Yoyogi, Inokashira and Hibiya parks in the capital, which on Saturday reported 388 new COVID-19 infections.
