COVID-19 Certificate May Be Mandatory for Tokyo Games Goers

Tokyo, May 31 (Jiji Press)--Japan is considering obliging Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics spectators to present a negative result certificate for a novel coronavirus test when they enter the venues, government sources said Monday. The government is also discussing the idea of banning eating, alcohol drinking and loud cheering in the venues to reduce the risk of droplet infections, according to the sources. The government is holding the discussions as thorough coronavirus measures would be crucial to holding the Tokyo Games with spectators this summer. The central government, the Tokyo metropolitan government and the Tokyo Games organizing committee have already decided not to admit any general spectators from abroad to the sporting events. The organizations are slated to decide the maximum number of domestic spectators for the games by the end of June. On Friday, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga expressed eagerness to hold the Tokyo Games with spectators. All Tokyo Games spectators will be required to take polymerase chain reaction or other coronavirus tests beforehand and submit a certificate of a negative test result within the seven days of their attendance, the sources said. The costs of the tests will be covered by the spectators themselves. The submission of such a certificate will be unnecessary for those who have a document certifying that they have received COVID-19 vaccinations. At a news conference Monday, Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato stopped short of saying what measures Japan will take if it admits spectators to the Tokyo Games. "The government will cooperate closely with those concerned and deal with related matters to realize safe and secure games," Kato said. END