Fans will not be allowed to attend the 2020 Summer Paralympics in person due to rising COVID-19 cases and the delta variant in Japan, according to the International Paralympic Committee.
Monday’s decision follows a meeting held with IPC, the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, and the Japanese government, during which the groups also discussed Japan‘s decision to extend the country’s state of emergency to Sept. 12.
“We very much regret that this situation has impacted the Paralympic Games, following the Olympic Games, and we sincerely apologize to all ticket buyers who were looking forward to watching the Games at the venues,” the statement from the organizers read. “We hope that you understand that these measures are unavoidable and being implemented in order to prevent the spread of infection. Everyone is encouraged to watch the Games at home.”
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The 2020 Summer Olympic Games also banned spectators from attending in person due to COVID-19 cases rising and a state of emergency that carried all the way through the event. Tokyo hosted the 2020 Olympic Games from July 23 until Aug. 8 and saw at least 29 Olympic athletes test positive for the virus and withdraw from the games, according to Reuters.
During the games, cases of the coronavirus in Japan more than tripled according to Our World in Data, with the number of cases as of Aug. 15 at over 16,000 and the percentage of vaccinated residents at only 43.5%, per Reuters.
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The Paralympics take place shortly after the Olympics end in the same city, allowing athletes with an impairment from across the globe to compete. This year’s event will start on Aug. 24 and last until Sept. 5.
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Tags: News, Japan, Delta Variant, Sports, Tokyo
Original Author: Asher Notheis
Original Location: Paralympics bars in-person spectators