A Japanese Olympic Committee board member blasted organizers of the Tokyo2020 Games for ignoring public concerns about holding the global sporting showpiece amid a pandemic, but said it was too late to cancel
The International Olympic Committee appeared to think it could steamroll over the wishes of the Japanese public, who, surveys show, overwhelmingly want the games cancelled or postponed, the JOC's Kaori Yamaguchi said in an opinion piece carried by Japan's Kyodo news agency.
"People have had enough of the 'stay home' request ... Unless comes up with something new in this critical phase it's going to be impossible" to prevent the risk of contagion, Omi said. Japan's government also says the Games can go ahead safely despite a slow vaccine rollout and rising numbers of severe coronavirus cases straining the medical system. The country has recorded nearly 750,000 cases and more than 13,000 deaths.
He expressed frustration that public health guidance, including his, was not reaching the IOC, and on Friday said medical experts were planning a statement on the Games by June 20, when the current state of emergency is set to be lifted.
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