Organisers of next year's delayed Tokyo Olympics will require coronavirus tests of foreign athletes upon their arrival in Japan, but may not mandate a two-week quarantine period.
Tokyo 2020 chief executive Toshirō Mutō has hinted at the restrictions, after a meeting between the organising committee, the Japanese Government and the Tokyo metropolitan authorities.
Japanese athletes and other participants living in Japan would face similar requirements when travelling to training camps and competition venues under the planned measures.
The pandemic, which has infected millions worldwide, has cast a shadow over the viability of next year's Games, even as new Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has emphasised their importance.
On Wednesday, Suga discussed holding a successful Games with International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach, promising to cooperate closely on holding a safe event for athletes and spectators.
In the draft plan, Tokyo organisers also propose to limit travel within Japan for athletes, who would register all domestic travel routes, and would be transported to towns hosting national delegations and training sites in dedicated vehicles.
Details of the coronavirus measures for the Games were still under discussion, including the frequency of tests.
"How we are going to decide is something we have to decide," he says"But we haven't discussed by when we have to decide."
Muto hopes deliberations with the International Olympic Committee and various international sports federations will be finalised by December.
Japan has avoided the kind of explosive outbreak suffered by nations such as the United States, India and Brazil, with roughly 80,000 infections and about 1500 deaths to date. The virus has killed about 964,000 people worldwide.
Reuters
