Tokyo Olympics: state of emergency extended until June 20 in Japan, concern among volunteers
The Japanese government once again extended on Friday the state of emergency in force in part of the archipelago in the face of Covid-19, until June 20 now, almost a month before the opening of the Tokyo Olympics. .
REUTERS - POOL
Text by: RFI Follow
4 min
The state of emergency in force in Japan was renewed in a dozen regions, including Tokyo, by the Japanese authorities on Friday, May 28.
The opening ceremony of the Olympic Games is scheduled for July 23.
The surge in the number of contaminations is of particular concern to the 80,000 Japanese who applied to volunteer to supervise the event.
More and more of them are resigning.
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The number of new cases has declined since mid-May, but the situation continues to be uncertain,
" Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga told reporters on Friday (May 28th) to justify the decision to extend the state. emergency until June 20.
Despite the drop in the number of infections in Tokyo and Osaka, the situation remains precarious with less than two months of the start
of the Tokyo Olympics
.
A third of the archipelago therefore remains subject to state of emergency.
But it bears no resemblance to the containment measures imposed elsewhere in the world, recalls
our correspondent in Tokyo
,
Frédéric Charles
.
It is limited to closing bars and restaurants earlier than usual.
The Japanese government is criticized for the slowness of the vaccination campaign.
Less than 2.5% of Japanese people received two doses of the vaccine.
Not to mention that experts fear that the fourth wave of the Covid-19 epidemic will reach its peak in July.
This means that in Tokyo, during the Games, hospitals could again have to refuse patients for lack of beds or enough caregivers, explains
our other correspondent in Tokyo
,
Bruno Duval
.
Volunteers who refuse to serve as "
cannon fodder
"
Worried, these two volunteers preferred to throw in the towel: “
Like most volunteers, I will probably not have been vaccinated by the time of the Games. However, I do not feel the strength to live them while constantly having the fear of being contaminated
”, explains the first. "
Nothing says that the volunteers who catch the Covid will be well cared for: this summer, the hospitals will undoubtedly always be as overwhelmed
", fears this Japanese woman, also a volunteer.
Volunteers implicate the organizers of the Games.
This is the case with this retiree.
“
When I went to get my badge and my volunteer uniform, I was given two masks and a small bottle of hydroalcoholic gel.
For my protection during the Olympics, I was told,
reports another volunteer.
Just two masks as these Games will last two weeks.
Obviously, the organizers do not realize the gravity of the situation.
So it seemed better to me to resign.
I really felt like a soldier who was sent to fight without any weapon.
"
► Tokyo Olympics: "A majority of the population considers that the Olympics should be canceled"
The expression keeps coming back in the Japanese press: all these unvaccinated volunteers will be "
the cannon fodder of the Tokyo Olympics
".
And the first victims, if these Games turn into a health disaster.
Japan remains relatively spared from the coronavirus.
Since the start of the pandemic, it has recorded 727,000 infections and 12,500 deaths for a population of 126 million inhabitants.
The government promises to vaccinate those over 65 by the end of July.
Medical associations insist that the Games take place without spectators.
Others are asking for their cancellation.
The government remains confident: it will organize “
safe and secure
”
Games this summer
, he says.
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Japan
2020 Olympics
Coronavirus
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