The countdown to the opening, the rebound of the epidemic raises concerns

Tokyo Olympics faces multiple tests

　　In half a month, the Tokyo Olympic Games, which will be postponed for one year, will usher in the opening ceremony.

However, just as the preparations for the Olympics entered the sprint stage, there was a clear rebound of the epidemic in Tokyo and other areas in Japan, and confirmed cases in foreign Olympic delegations also appeared one after another.

　　The epidemic has brought unprecedented risks and challenges.

How is the preparations for this Olympic Games?

How to host the Olympic Games safely and smoothly?

This is the current focus of global attention.

The epidemic situation in Japan is unstable, and many foreign athletes and Olympic-related personnel test positive for the new crown

　　In July, the Tokyo Olympic Games entered the countdown, and the epidemic situation in Japan, the host country, was still unstable.

According to the Asahi Shimbun, on July 6, there were 1,671 new confirmed cases of new coronary pneumonia across Japan, and the number of newly confirmed cases in the three prefectures in the metropolitan area (Tokyo, Saitama, Chiba, and Kanagawa) Accounted for more than 60%.

　　Previously, the deadline for the new crown "emergency declaration" issued to 10 prefectures and prefectures including Tokyo and Osaka was extended from May 31 to June 20.

From 0:00 on June 21 to July 11, the 7 prefectures of Hokkaido, Tokyo, Aichi, Osaka, Hyogo, Kyoto, and Fukuoka will be switched to the "Declaration of Emergency "Key measures such as preventing the spread of the epidemic" are one level lower.

　　The highly infectious, high viral load, and fast-spreading mutant strain of "Delta" is accelerating its spread in Tokyo, and the potential risk of the epidemic may be even greater.

On July 6, 593 newly confirmed cases were confirmed in Tokyo. Among them, through screening and inspection, 94 cases of infection with the "delta" variant strain were first discovered in India, which is the highest daily average.

The Japanese government once expressed strong concerns about the "Delta" mutant strain, and the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan also stated that the new crown epidemic may spread rapidly again in the future.

　　"It can be said that the Japanese metropolitan area is already at the'entry' of the fifth wave of the epidemic. At the moment, we must not hesitate to take corresponding measures to extend the'key measures to prevent the spread of the epidemic', or reissue the'emergency declaration if necessary.' 'This is very important." said Ichihiro Tateta, a member of the Japanese government's new crown epidemic expert group.

　　The risks not only come from within Japan, but also from all over the world.

Although the Olympic Games has made it clear that no overseas spectators will be received, foreign delegations and Olympic-related staff are arriving one after another.

According to the Tokyo Olympic Organizing Committee, as of July 4, a total of 1,244 athletes and Olympic-related personnel have arrived in Japan. It is expected that about 1,000 Olympic-related personnel will enter Japan in the next week.

This means that the risk of virus intrusion always exists.

　　On the evening of July 3, a group of five members of the Serbian Olympic delegation arrived at Tokyo Haneda Airport. They originally planned to go to Nanto City, Toyama Prefecture for pre-match training, but one of them tested positive for the new crown virus and the training program was interrupted.

The confirmed case was immediately sent to a nursing facility, and the other four people, as close contacts, were arranged to be isolated in an isolation facility near the airport.

Prior to this, a number of Olympic-related personnel from Uganda, France, Egypt, etc. were diagnosed after arriving in Japan.

　　The Tokyo Olympic Organizing Committee announced on July 5 that in addition to foreign delegation members, another 9 Olympic-related personnel living in Japan tested positive for the new crown virus, including 7 outsourcing personnel, 1 Olympic organizing committee staff and 1 media staff.

Take various measures to prevent and control the risk of the epidemic, and do not rule out the possibility of hosting the Olympics in empty venues

　　The Olympics are just around the corner, and it is imperative to upgrade epidemic prevention measures.

　　On June 19, after the Uganda Olympic delegation arrived in Tokyo, one coach tested positive for the new crown virus, but the other members still took the bus to Osaka, hundreds of kilometers away, and another athlete was diagnosed afterwards.

In order to avoid similar loopholes, starting from July, the Tokyo Olympic Organizing Committee has strengthened the entry quarantine measures for athletes. If foreign athletes are found to be infected during their stay, the coaches and other athletes who are training together must immediately undergo full isolation and stop. training.

One person is positive and the team is isolated. According to media reports, this means that the delegation may miss the Olympic Games.

　　The unstable situation of the epidemic has also directly led to repeated adjustments in the format of the event and the limit on the number of spectators in the venue.

The Tokyo Olympic Organizing Committee was originally scheduled to announce the results of the draw for oversold tickets under the current upper limit standard in the early morning of July 6. However, considering the new uncertainty brought by the epidemic, this schedule has been postponed to the early morning of July 10.

　　The lottery involves the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympic Games and 7 events. All ticket holders need to draw lots to determine the qualifications for admission.

At the end of June, the five parties (the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games Organizing Committee, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, the Government of Japan, the International Olympic Committee, and the International Paralympic Committee) decided that the number of spectators at the Tokyo Olympic Games should not exceed half of the venue’s capacity. 10,000 is the upper limit, but the premise is that at midnight on July 12, Tokyo and other event venues will completely lift the currently implemented "key measures to prevent the spread of the epidemic."

　　The Japanese government will make a decision on July 8 to extend the current epidemic prevention measures in Tokyo and other metropolitan areas for about one month; the five-party meeting will also be held again on the same day to readjust the number of visitors.

According to reports, in the adjustment plan, the audience-free period will account for about 40% of the total, including the opening and closing ceremonies.

　　The chairman of the Tokyo Olympic Organizing Committee Hashimoto Seiko and Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike previously disclosed that the possibility of the Olympic Games being held in a state of "no spectators" is not ruled out.

About two weeks ago, the Japanese government's new crown epidemic expert group also made recommendations to the Tokyo Olympic Organizing Committee, hoping that the Olympics would be "best held without spectators."

　　On July 9, the Olympic flame will begin a 14-day relay in the Tokyo area.

According to Japan’s Kyodo News Agency, in order to avoid gatherings of people, the torch relay in other areas will be held behind closed doors, except for the relays on several nearby small islands that are still held on public roads.

　　It is the obligation of all participants of the Tokyo Olympics to comply with the epidemic prevention rules and prevent the spread of infection.

The latest edition of the "Epidemic Prevention Handbook" for the Tokyo Olympics will be applicable from July 1. This is the third edition after the update.

The Tokyo Olympic Organizing Committee focused on athletes, summarized the necessary rules for the prevention and control of the new crown epidemic, and assembled it into the "Epidemic Prevention Manual", which clearly stipulated the frequency of nucleic acid testing for Olympic-related personnel before entering Japan and the isolation measures when infection is confirmed. It also stipulates the scope of actions of relevant personnel and penalties for violations such as fines, deprivation of participation qualifications, and deportation.

　　The President of the International Olympic Committee Bach issued an open letter to all relevant personnel of the Olympic Movement a few days ago, emphasizing that the regulations are formulated based on science, taking into account the complexity of organizing the Olympics.

"In order to fulfill the firm commitment to the safety and reliability of the Tokyo Olympics, everyone must abide by the regulations in the latest edition of the Epidemic Prevention Manual."

　　In order to prevent the spread of the epidemic caused by the concentration of personnel, several "big balloons" floated over the surrounding Tokyo Olympic venues.

According to the Japanese Metropolitan Police Department, from July 6th to September 6th, "balloon cameras" equipped with high-performance cameras were put into use. The balloons floated about 100 meters in the air to detect the density of people.

The vaccination has not yet reached the expected goal, and the people have expectations and are more worried

　　In Tokyo, the atmosphere of the Olympic Games is getting stronger.

Eye-catching Olympic fences have been erected near the main Olympic stadium, the New National Stadium, and Tokyo Metropolitan Government Buildings and other buildings have hung up Tokyo Olympics propaganda banners. Many elements seem to remind: the "late" Tokyo Olympics is really coming. Up.

　　In an interview with the media, some Japanese people said that from the expectations of the people after the successful Olympic bid, to the panic of the new crown epidemic, and now suddenly a little excited, "Everyone has very complicated feelings about the Tokyo Olympics."

　　"After the outbreak of the new crown epidemic, Japan has not reached a national consensus on whether to continue hosting the Tokyo Olympics." Tang Yongliang, a researcher at the Institute of Japanese Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told reporters that Japanese society has many divergent attitudes towards the Tokyo Olympics, which can be roughly attributed to expectations and concerns. Two types, in addition, there are also voices of opposition and protest.

　　In many places in Japan, some people took to the streets to demonstrate, demanding the termination of the Tokyo Olympics; on the Internet, as many as 300,000 people signed petitions on websites that rejected the Tokyo Olympics.

On July 4, in Mito City, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, someone shouted anti-Olympic slogans while spraying the Tokyo Olympic flame with a water gun in an attempt to hinder the torch relay... However, as the Tokyo Olympics approached, the results of public opinion surveys in Japan showed , The number of people supporting the scheduled Olympic Games is increasing.

According to the results of a poll released by Japan’s Asahi Shimbun in late June, 34% of people support the Olympic Games as scheduled, while the survey in May showed that the support rate was only 14%; those who thought it should be suspended or postponed again were 32% and 32% respectively. 30%.

　　Why are the people worried?

The results of recent polls conducted by a number of Japanese media showed that in addition to worrying about whether personnel isolation and epidemic prevention measures are in place, they are also worried that the Olympic Games will squeeze medical resources against the epidemic.

Cui Cheng, an associate researcher at the Macroeconomic Research Institute of the National Development and Reform Commission and former secretary of the Chinese Embassy in Japan, also pointed out that Japan’s own medical conditions are already relatively tight. If an outbreak of athletes or other personnel occurs during the Olympics, it will cause serious damage to local medical care. huge pressure.

　　Such worries are not unreasonable.

According to Bloomberg News, about 10,000 doctors and nurses were previously planned to be on standby for the Olympics. However, in response to the domestic epidemic in Japan, the number of medical staff related to the event has been reduced to about 7,000.

Seiko Hashimoto said that the reduced target (7,000 people) can only achieve 80%, which is equivalent to only about half of the original target of 10,000 people.

　　Increasing the vaccination rate is a "must answer" for the safe hosting of the Olympic Games.

Some Japanese medical experts believe that only when 80% of the population is immune to new coronary pneumonia is the turning point in the fight against the epidemic.

If Japan cannot achieve a comparable vaccination rate before the Olympics, it will be difficult to achieve the immunization effect.

　　According to Japanese media statistics, as of June 27, 27,175,489 people in Japan have been vaccinated, with an inoculation rate of 21.37%, of which 1,302,462 have completed two shots of vaccination, accounting for 10.23%.

"The Japanese government previously launched the vaccine'Umbrella Plan', intending to achieve universal immunization in Japan before the Tokyo Olympics. However, the challenge was severe and the plan did not proceed smoothly as scheduled." Tang Yongliang said that from the supply side, the vaccine is indeed insufficient and the quantity Did not keep up; from the demand side, Japan has experienced severe systemic allergies, thrombosis and other side effects due to vaccination with vaccines produced in Europe and the United States. Some people still have doubts about vaccination, and their willingness to vaccination is not high.

Overcoming difficulties and igniting the torch at the moment of global war against the epidemic is itself a manifestation of the Olympic spirit

　　Above the main stadium of the Tokyo Olympics, a giant propaganda poster is hung. The red and white background board says "TOKYO 2020".

This number staying a year ago seems to be telling the unusualness of this Olympic Games.

　　In the history of the Olympic Games, there have been three Olympics cancelled because of wars-the 1916 Berlin Olympics, the 1940 Tokyo Olympics and the 1944 London Olympics.

Due to the new crown epidemic raging around the world, the Tokyo Olympics have been postponed to this year, which is the first time in history.

　　Despite the twists and turns and constant disputes, the efforts of all parties to successfully host the Olympic Games have never stopped.

Since June, the International Olympic Committee, the Japanese government, and the Tokyo Olympic Organizing Committee have repeatedly voiced their determination to hold the Olympic Games as scheduled.

Recently, Yuriko Koike also reiterated at the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly: "We will earnestly advance the final preparations for the event and will do our best for safe and secure operation of the event."

　　This sentence is not easy to say.

"The organizers of the event are indeed under great pressure. At this point in time, the'Delta' mutant strain threatens the world, and the host city Tokyo has poor epidemic control. The key figure in charge of Tokyo's epidemic prevention and Olympic preparations is Yuriko Koike. Recently, I have been suffering from illness and can only work remotely. In addition, the election of Tokyo Metropolitan Parliament and the mudslide disaster in Japan have also involved Olympic preparations and epidemic prevention efforts, which has caused concerns from all walks of life in Japan." Tang Yongliang said.

　　Some event arrangements that should have been determined as soon as possible are subject to constant or delayed changes due to the impact of the epidemic.

"For example, how to carry out the vaccination certification of foreign athletes, whether and how to participate in the competition of positive athletes, whether the domestic audience can enter the stadium and the number of people restrictions, these issues have not yet been finalized." Tang Yongliang believes that the effect of the event. , Economic benefits, etc. will also "kick the whole body", adding more uncertainty to this Olympic Games.

　　At the end of June, Bach revealed in an open letter that the International Olympic Committee has confirmed that 84% of national (regional) Olympic Committee delegation members will be vaccinated, and nearly 100% of IOC members and staff have also been vaccinated. Or immunity.

　　"This shows our deep respect for the host Japan and all Olympic participants, and also shows the belief that the Olympic family is united." Bach called on everyone to continue to carry forward the Olympic spirit and enthusiasm and make every effort to make these numbers higher.

　　The Olympic Games is a grand event for all mankind, carrying the beautiful yearning for peace and unity; "faster, higher, stronger" is precisely the brave pursuit of mankind to constantly surpass itself and break through the limits.

When the world is fighting the epidemic, we need a "victory" in particular.

　　"To withstand the pressure and the international community to work together to ignite the Olympic flame is a manifestation of the Olympic spirit." Tang Yongliang said that the Olympic spirit is the spirit of advocating overcoming oneself and constantly transcending.

"We are facing an unprecedented challenge from the epidemic. If we can successfully host and host the Olympic Games under the premise of ensuring safety, it will be a boost not only for athletes and sports enthusiasts, but for people all over the world. Important things."

　　Our reporter Chai Yaxin