Calls grow for Tokyo Summer Olympics to be cancelled over COVID-19

Calls are growing to cancel the Tokyo Olympics this summer amid a fourth COVID-19 wave across Asia as Japan sees a fourth wave of the pandemic and faces the rapid spread of new variants in the country.

The Games are set to kick off on July 23 after being pushed back a year, but more than 80 per cent of Japanese people are not in favour of holding the events, according to a national newspaper poll published Monday.

Eric Sorensen looks at the uncertainty and challenges facing Canadian athletes who qualified to compete.

#GlobalNews #COVID19 #Olympics #Coronavirus

[imeldacabornay]

Cancel it, that is the best thing to do.

[lannguyen-pudb]

Wow, Japan protesting their government's decision/policy/wish!?! 👏👍

[panmanan]

The current virus spread situation in Japan is worse than the situation in May 2020. Also, some experts say that vaccination may not work with new variants from India. Others say that some asymptomatic airport quarantines may not give positive results. The governments of Japan and Tokyo and IOC are forcing the games to be held this summer, so even if a pandemic occurs after the games in Japan, it is what they asked for it. My concern is what happens if a new variant virus is spread abroad by athletes and the game officials.

[thRiflesOCI]

They talk about hongkong, singapore, taiwan and thailand as sucess stories. But nothing about Vietnam the only country to actually defeat covid without vaccinations and only started importing vaccines for healthcare workers.

[zonzillamagnus]

I live in Japan there is no covid explosion. This is insanity.

[orange]

Holding an event, the Olympics or not, that gathers people from all over the world and have them go back to their countries during the global pandemic does not make sense to me. I wonder if the participants are aware that vaccinations just started with the prioritized elders, and it is not going smoothly in Japan. Most of the residents have no prospect for vaccinations. Wouldn’t this be a high risk event also for all the participants and the countries they are going back to? Also I’d be mindful that vaccinations are reported to be effective, but receiving them is not a guarantee.

[LikeNitaShow]

Hello, watching from Cambodia! Stay safe everyone🙏

[davenguyen]

The IOC don't know History tells us that's a fact.

[samuelefesoa]

Next would be covid-19 Olympic variant.

[litameow]

Can they do it by zoom....??? It's 2021. Work from home, studies from home. Watch Olympic from home

[voidremoved]

Rowing a boat very well makes one an expert on viruses. Did she call you guys or did you have to call her?

[MrHammerman]

Guess the Chinese Olympics are cancelled as well. Qatar's World Cup aswell.

[silencedogood]

Would be smart thing to do but it boils down to money and greed so sad many will get virus and die

[NL-trix]

The pandemic in Taiwan ain’t good now...at all😓

[robperry]

Where do all these calls always come from? And who's listening?

[blues]

Have they thought about doing a virtual Olympics where the athletes play Wii sports remotely instead?

[林新三]

Coronavirus is widespread in Japan.
The majority of the people are against hosting the Olympics, but the IOC and government's runaway continues.
Japan's border measures are not working at all.
Boycott the Olympics to protect athletes in your country.

[futurologygamerhub]

There might as well move the Tokyo Summer Olympics into 2022 which you could have a chance of watching two Olympics in one year in 2022 with Beijing Winter Olympics and Tokyo Summer Olympics.

[shyguyo]

Everyone else’s lives have suffered and travel is restricted, let the olympians suffer, restrict them too.

[subculture]

Because the Olympics are essential during a global pandemic...