Tokyo (AFP)
Vaccination against the coronavirus will not be mandatory for athletes at the Tokyo Olympics postponed until next summer due to the pandemic, International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach said on Tuesday.
Requiring vaccines would be "going too far", judged Mr. Bach, visiting Tokyo to try to convince the Japanese population and the sponsors of the Olympics-2020 that the event could be held in July with spectators, despite the recent upsurge in infections.
He reiterated the IOC's commitment to safe Games during a visit to the Olympic Village on Tuesday, stressing that the organizing committee would take "all necessary precautionary measures so that athletes can relax and feel safe" .
But if he did confirm that the IOC would encourage athletes to be vaccinated before taking part in the Games, he stressed to the press that there would be "no obligation".
"There are too many questions to take into account. It is a matter of private health. It is also a question of individual health. It is a question of availability," said M Bach.
But he said the IOC would "call on" athletes and other participants to get vaccinated, calling it a "sign of respect" to both other athletes and the Japanese hosts.
Tokyo-2020 officials say they are planning a wide range of measures against the virus to allow the Games to take place even without a vaccine, but Bach said on Monday the IOC would seek to help athletes obtain vaccines if they are available and approved.
Australian Health Minister Greg Hunt said on Tuesday he had received assurances from IOC leaders that they had "taken steps to secure vaccines for all athletes and officials who will come from around the world."
"We therefore expect that there will be vaccines for athletes of all nations and for officials of all nations, and that they will indeed be ready well before the Olympics."
The Olympic Games are scheduled to take place from July 23 to August 8 and the Paralympic Games from August 24 to September 5.
© 2020 AFP