It seems the Tokyo Olympics will take place despite COVID-19 cases surging in Japan

While the United States is slowly opening and approaching normalcy amid lifted coronavirus restrictions, other countries are still concerned about case numbers. 

One of these countries is Japan, host of the postponed 2020 Olympics set to take place in July. Parts of Japan, including host city Tokyo, are currently under a state of emergency due to rising COVID-19 case numbers. With just 2% of Japanese citizens vaccinated, is it really a good idea to host an international, month-long sporting competition? 

It’s a serious dilemma for Japan as they’ve already sunk more than $15 billion dollars into hosting the event, yet public opinion polls suggest Japanese citizens overwhelmingly prefer the Olympics to be cancelled. Unlike last summer (when the Olympics were merely postponed), a tournament cancellation this time around would be permanent. If the games were cancelled, it would be a financial disaster for the country and a massive disappointment for the qualified athletes. 

Still, in recent weeks the International Olympic Committee has repeatedly insisted the Tokyo Olympics are on as scheduled, and that they are following safety guidelines to limit risk. They argue more than 80% of Olympic Village residents will be vaccinated and not in contact with the public. 

It’s anyone’s guess how the next few months will turn out. If the Olympics are ultimately cancelled, it will be a monumental moment in Olympic history. The Olympics have been cancelled only three times, each time due to the World Wars.