TOKYO – Spectators from abroad will be banned from the Tokyo Olympics when they open in four months, the IOC and local organizers said Saturday.
The decision was announced after an online meeting of the International Olympic Committee, the Japanese government, the Tokyo government, the International Paralympic Committee and local organizers.
The move was expected and the rumors passed for several months. Officials said the risk was too great to admit cardholders from abroad during a pandemic, an idea that the Japanese public is strongly against. Japan has attributed about 8,800 deaths to COVID-19 and has kept the virus under better control than most countries.
“In order to provide clarity to ticket holders living abroad and allow them to adjust their travel plans at this stage, the parties on the Japanese side have concluded that they will not be able to enter Japan at the time of the Olympics. and Paralympic Games, ”the Tokyo organizing committee said in a statement.
About 1 million tickets have been reportedly sold to fans from outside Japan. Organizers have promised refunds, but this is determined by so-called Authorized Ticket Resellers who handle sales outside of Japan. These dealers charge fees up to 20% above the ticket price. It is not clear whether the costs will be reimbursed.
“We could wait until the very last moment to decide, except for the spectators,” said Seiko Hashimoto, the chairman of the organizing committee. “They have to secure accommodation and flights. So we have to decide early otherwise we will cause a lot of inconvenience from them. I know this is a very difficult problem. “
IOC chairman Thomas Bach called it a “difficult decision”.
“We have to make decisions that may have to be sacrificed from everyone,” he said.
The financial burden of lost ticket sales falls on Japan. The local organizing committee’s budget called for $ 800 million in ticket sales, the third largest source of income in the private funding budget. Any budget deficits will have to be absorbed by Japanese government agencies.
In total, Japan officially spends $ 15.4 billion to host the Olympic Games. Several government audits say the true cost could be twice as much. All but $ 6.7 billion is public money.
About 4.45 million tickets were sold to residents of Japan. The organizers are expected to announce the capacity at locations next month, which will be filled by local residents.
The ban on fans from abroad comes just days before the Olympic torch relay starts Thursday from Fukushima prefecture in northeastern Japan. It will run for 121 days, crisscross Japan with 10,000 runners, and end on July 23 at the opening ceremony at Tokyo’s National Stadium.
The relay will be a test for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, with 15,400 athletes going to Japan. They will be tested before they leave home, tested on arrival in Japan, and tested regularly while staying in a safe “bubble” in the Athletes Village on Tokyo Bay.
Athletes do not need to be vaccinated to enter Japan, but many will be.
Midway through Saturday’s meeting, Bach and others were reminded of northeastern Japan that is prone to earthquakes – and Japan in general.
A strong earthquake shook Tokyo and triggered a tsunami warning when Bach and others made introductory comments to the virtual encounter. The strength was rated 7.0 by the US Geological Survey and the site was in northeastern Japan, an area hit by a massive earthquake and tsunami in 2011.
‘I think the screen is shaking. Did you notice that the screen is shaking, ”said Tamayo Marukawa, Japan’s Olympic Minister, as she visualized her presentation from Tokyo on a screen in Switzerland while speaking remotely with Bach. “We are currently in the middle of an earthquake.”
Officials there said there were no immediate reports of damage.