Tokyo Games Spectator Quarantine May Be Eased
Japan is considering easing the 14-day quarantine requirement for foreigners visiting Japan for the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Officials from the Japanese government, the Tokyo metropolitan government and the Tokyo organizing committee met at the Prime Minister's Office on Thursday.
They discussed measures against coronavirus infections for the Tokyo Games.
The officials confirmed that they will consider granting quarantine exemptions to foreign spectators in principle and allowing them to use public transportation.
They say they will introduce anti-virus measures equivalent to the 14-day quarantine. They will consider creating a system to monitor foreign visitors' activities and health to quickly detect possible infections.
They plan to decide on the measures by spring.
The officials also plan to make a decision on a cap for the number of spectators at venues by spring. They will refer to a recent experiment conducted at a baseball stadium to see how coronavirus measures will work when the number of spectators exceeds the limit set by the government.
The officials also discussed anti-virus measures required for municipalities that will host foreign athletes as part of exchange programs.
They decided to ask those cities and towns to charter transportation and arrange practice venues for exclusive use by athletes.
The officials will also ask municipalities to compile itineraries that state where athletes will stay as well as their travel routes.
