Tokyo Under State of Emergency, Olympic Will Now Have No Spectators

After a year of delays, for a while, we weren’t certain if the Tokyo Olympic Games were still going to be held this summer. With the continued wake of destruction COVID-19 lockdowns have produced, it was a small wonder over the last few months things had been verified and ratified.

It was only in the last few days things had changed.

Yes, the Olympics will be moving ahead as planned — that’s the good news. The downside is that spectators will no longer be allowed to watch in-person, will remain at home, and will not be allowed to venture out into the city or surrounding prefectures.

On Thursday, Japan was placed under a state of emergency, again. This makes the fourth time this has happened since the onset of the pandemic.

The outlook was improving as the number of COVID-19 cases has been on a steady decline since early January. Much like the rising sun, the cases too began to surge around mid-June.

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga recently said, “Stronger measures have become necessary in those areas, but could be lifted early if we see evidence of the positive impact of the vaccine rollout.“

I don’t expect Japanese officials to allow spectators into the stadium regardless at this stage of the game.

This means, that ticket holders will no longer have access to the Games and will be refunded.

The Tokyo Olympic Organizing Committee held a press conference today, addressing this very topic. All ticket holders will be refunded after the end of the Olympics.

“We are very sorry for failing to provide the opportunity to watch the game that the audience expected,” the Tokyo Olympic Organizing Committee said.

Last month, local fans were allocated 50% capacity or up to 10,000 spectators.

The only attendance now allowed will likely be the marathon which will be held outside the zone, though officials have already stated they are asking for those watching to not cheer on runners, likely to help curtail the spread of airborne particles.

Pardon my take, but what a shit show.

I feel a great deal of empathy for the athletes who worked hard for 4-5 years to finally hit the biggest stage for most of these sports, only to have no audience. A stage where world records are in jeopardy of being broken, individual and national pride are on the line, money is at stake, and there’s no energy in the facilities.

It should be noted, this cannot be great for the country of Japan. The amount of money they have poured into building the infrastructure, as well as the amount of time out of use, has put a great deal of strain on them as well.

What do you guys think? Should they be postponed again, or should fans be allowed in? Do you feel the energy will be anywhere near the same without the fans?