Tokyo (AFP)

The Japanese government decided on Thursday to reinstate a state of health emergency in Tokyo for the duration of the Olympic Games which are due to open in two weeks, foreshadowing the Olympics with few or no spectators.

Japanese media have raised the possibility of a closed session at most of the Olympic venues in Greater Tokyo.

"In many regions, the number of new cases (of Covid-19) has decreased, but it has continued to increase since the end of last month in the greater Tokyo region," the Japanese prime minister said when announcing the decision government that the media had anticipated on Wednesday.

"We need to step up measures to prevent infections from spreading again across Japan, given the impact of the new variants," Suga added.

The more infectious Delta variant now accounts for around 30% of cases in Japan.

The announcement came a few hours after the arrival in Tokyo of the President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Thomas Bach.

In the evening, Mr. Bach is to participate online - being obliged to observe a quarantine of three days - in a meeting on the crucial issue of local spectators at the Olympics.

In Japan, health emergency measures are much less stringent than lockdowns imposed elsewhere in the world, limiting the sale of alcohol and forcing bars and restaurants to close earlier.

But restrictions also concern the number of spectators at cultural and sporting events, an essential question two weeks before the Olympic Games (23 July-8 August).

The decision of the Japanese government should have an impact on the position of the organizers of the Olympics who must fix once and for all, in principle Thursday evening, the number of spectators possibly allowed on venues during the events.

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- Draconian measures -

In March, they already banned spectators from overseas - a first in Olympic history - and last month they set a cap of 10,000 local spectators or 50% of a venue's capacity, according to the lower number.

But the organizers acknowledged that this number could be further reduced drastically, and that the Games could even take place behind closed doors if the health situation worsened.

The presence or absence of an audience is a puzzle for the ticket office.

A draw supposed to fix a reduced number of spectators has continued to be rejected.

Some 11,000 athletes are expected at the Tokyo Olympics where draconian anti-Covid measures have been imposed by the organizers.

While the Japanese archipelago has been relatively spared so far by the Covid-19 pandemic, with around 14,900 officially recorded deaths since early 2020, its vaccination program has progressed very slowly.

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Just over 15% of the population has been fully vaccinated so far and experts fear the Delta variant may cause a new wave that could overwhelm hospitals in Japan which has seen several health emergencies since the year. last.

The Tokyo-2020 organizing committee is, however, striving to create some enthusiasm for these Games plagued by the pandemic.

The Olympic torch relay, which has been banned on public roads in most of Japan, will also take place behind closed doors from Friday in the capital where very limited ceremonies are scheduled until the Games.

On Tuesday, organizers announced that they would ask the public to "refrain" from attending the marathon and walking events in Sapporo (northern Japan).

Polls show that due to health risks, many Japanese remain hostile to hosting the Games, although opposition has weakened in recent weeks.

© 2021 AFP