Tokyo 2020 organisers outline Coronavirus protection plans for Olympic participants

September 23, 2020

Organisers of next year’s Tokyo Olympics will require Games athletes to submit to a COVID-19 test before and on arrival in Japan as part of proposed Coronavirus countermeasures.

Japanese athletes and other participants living in Japan will face the same requirements, according to the draft measures released by Games organisers, which are still being discussed.

Organisers of the delayed Games have also advised that they are yet to make a decision on spectator numbers or whether athletes will be kept in ‘bubbles’ away from members of the public.

Tokyo2020 Chief Executive, Toshiro Muto advised “athletes should be protected, and by contacting the public the athletes might spread COVID-19 - that is a possibility.”

Muto said he hoped there would be more concrete plans in place by mid-December, but there were still many discussions that needed to be had with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), international sporting federations and national Olympic committees.

The IOC's coordination commission will be held remotely on Thursday, with the draft measures certain to make for some challenging negotiations.

No decision has been made on how many tests athletes will have to undertake while in Japan or in the Olympic and Paralympic Village.

As reported by the ABC, the proposal is that athletes will not have to undergo a two-week quarantine period when arriving in Japan but will have be required to submit an activity plan indicating their proposed destinations, such as competition and training venues, and how they will get there.

Muto advised “it's not realistic for us to consider not using public transportation by athletes because they will have to go to regional areas, they might have to use public.

"And we are going to discuss how to do it when it's necessary."

The draft countermeasures from Games organisers were discussed with members of the Japanese Government and the local Government this afternoon.

In June, Muto warned “the Games will not be a grand splendour but will be a simplified Games."

Japan's Prime Minister, Yoshihide Suga, has this week spoken with IOC President Thomas Bach, with both reiterating their hopes the Games would go ahead safely and securely.

Following this, Bach noted that the recent staging of various sporting events around the world should provide confidence the Games would go ahead next summer.

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