Olympic Organizers Set to Cap Spectators at 10,000, Yomiuri Says

(Bloomberg) -- The Japanese government and Olympic organizers are making final arrangements to set a cap of 10,000 spectators for the Tokyo games, the Yomiuri newspaper reported, citing several unidentified officials.

If a coronavirus state of emergency is declared in Tokyo during the games, the organizers would consider holding the games without spectators, according to the report. An official decision will be made as soon as June 21 after a five-party meeting including the local government, the International Olympic Committee and the Tokyo 2020, it said.

The report comes as Tokyo and other urban areas are set to end their virus emergency on Sunday, about a month before the Olympics. The government will retain focused restrictions in some regions including the capital through July 11, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said Thursday, saying that Japan would act quickly to tackle any new infection surges.

While Japan still has by far the fewest recorded Covid-19 cases among the Group of Seven countries, the spread of more contagious variants has fueled concerns in a nation where vaccinations have been slow.

The limit would cut the crowd at Japan’s National Stadium, set to host the opening ceremony on July 23. Organizers in March already announced overseas spectators will be barred from events. Pressure to reduce the number of domestic fans had been growing amid public opposition against holding the games.

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