Olympics to Go on Despite Cancellation Calls, US Adds Japan to “Do Not Travel” List

Japan has been the center of attention since the Tokyo Olympics is just two months away. When the International Olympic Committee said that the event will go on as planned, even though Tokyo is under a state of emergency, calls for cancellation arose in Japan.

Japanese Calls for Cancellation or Postponement

A Japanese survey conducted on May 15th showed that 83% of people think the upcoming Olympics should be postponed or canceled. The approval ratio for the event is halved compared to the April survey. A Reuters survey also revealed that nearly 70% of Japanese companies want the Olympics to be postponed or canceled.

Japan is facing an overwhelmed healthcare system and a low vaccination rate. According to the WHO COVID-19 dashboard, around 4 million people in Japan have been vaccinated for at least one shot. As the population is close to 126 million, Japan’s vaccination rate is merely 3.2%, which is quite little considering the fast approaching Olympics.

Plans to Extend State of Emergency

While Tokyo, Osaka, and seven other prefectures are under the third state of emergency, the government is planning on extending the current May 31st deadline, which was initially expected to end on May 11th. The date has yet to be determined as Japan’s prime minister Yoshihide Suga will consult with healthcare experts and take the latest infection rate and remaining medical resources into consideration.

US Advises Not to Travel to Japan

On May 24th, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the US added Japan to the “Level 4: Do Not Travel” list, advising citizens not to travel to Japan due to a high level of COVID-19.

Two COVID-19 Vaccines Approved

Japan has approved Moderna and AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine last week, making them the second and the third approved COVID-19 vaccines in the country, along with the vaccine by Pfizer/BioNTech.

Before the approval, the 2 companies have worked with local manufacturers, Takeda and Daiichi Sankyo, to kickstart the production as soon as the official authorization arrived. Moderna’s vaccine will go straight into the inoculation plan with Pfizer/BioNTech’s, while AstraZeneca will not due to the safety concerns arising from the blood clot cases.

Related Article: Japan Accelerates Vaccine Development, Advances Two More Indigenous Candidates to Trials

Author

Tyler Chen

"Never go to a doctor whose office plants have died."- Erma Bombeck