Japan taking an Olympic-size Covid risk

Hosting the Tokyo Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games is a risky bet. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga could win big if there is no new wave of infections, but that doesn’t change the fact that he is willing to gamble with people’s health, livelihoods, and lives, writes Takatoshi Ito

Olympics organisers capped the number of spectators at 10,000 for each venue at the Tokyo 2020 Games, days after experts warned that holding the event without fans would be the least risky option during the pandemic. Pictured is Tokyo 2020 President Seiko Hashimoto listening to International Paralympic Committee (IPC) President Andrew Parson during a five-party online meeting in Tokyo today. Photo: Rodrigo Reyes Marin/AP

In 2020, Asia — especially East Asia — was often touted as a model of effective pandemic response. While Western countries endured harsh lockdowns and soaring infection and death rates, Asian countries largely kept the coronavirus under control. 

But the tables have turned, with East Asia now lagging far behind the United States and Europe on vaccinations. This does not bode well for this summer’s Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo.