Japan to halt special entry for athletes over new virus variants

I somehow don't think that the 2020 (2021) Olympics will be going ahead.

another day, another plan.... what will tomorrow's 'pandemic policy' be I wonder....

If they had fast tracked the vaccine and started to distribute it already I might have supported the Olympics going ahead but as they havent and it looks like Japan will be one of the last industrial nations to roll it out I am 100% against it going ahead as its just too dangerous.

@Fiddler: Agreed

I think they are waiting IOC Bach says Olympics 2021 is cancelled not from their mouth.

I can't see foreign spectators being allowed in unless they quarantine first, which will effectively make the Olympics a residents only spectator event.

Exactly, they want Bach to take the lead so the don’t have to take responsibility for the economic fallout. I really don’t understand the lack of planning here vis a vis the vaccine. It should be going into arms already.

Just cancel the damn olympics!

I somehow don't think that the 2020 (2021) Olympics will be going ahead.

Hold your horses! There's still time to throw another few trillion yen at the debacle before any rash decisions are made to cancel the whole enterprise.

It is not only the lack of economic benefits that is holding back the decision to cancel the Olympics. The LOC and Tokyo must wait for the IOC to cancel or they can be liable for huge damages claims. The IOC as rightsholder has a contract in place with the Japan LOC but IOC always demands a government guarantee.

IF IOC cancels, Japan does not need to pay damages. And IOC is waiting to announce the cancellation because they must proof due diligence first to their insurers

The only good thing about the Olympics going forward is that (I thought) it would put pressure on rolling out the vaccine. But that doesn't seem to be the case. Even with this new variant they're still sticking to this ludicrous timeline of approval of the Pfizer vaccine by February "at the earliest" according to Suga the other day.

So the special clause now needs a new special sub clause?

Bumbling idiots.

There only one way to contain the virus and its spread until full roll out of the vaccine.

We are trapped in an endless cycle until then due to severe lack of leadership, half measures and procrastination while funds that could have supported businesses are wasted on doomed to fail Olympic pipe-dreams.

Start the vaccination already! Other countries have already started it and the slow moving Japan is left behind again because of the old politicians whose decision making are nothing less than a horses fart!

Again, another government action focusing on foreigners and travel and nothing happening on dealing with the virus inside Japan.

I think it is fantastic that Japan is waiting for the rest of the world to test the vaccines first.

We will be sure to be safe. No?

I’m confused.

This morning a poster, responding the article “U.S. military in Japan begins first wave of COVID-19 vaccinations” wrote the following:

I wish us Americans could go to the embassy for inoculations. I would even pay for it.

I will ask some of my military and state department friends about getting all Americans inoculated at bases or the embassy.

Then, this afternoon this poster wrote:

I think it is fantastic that Japan is waiting for the rest of the world to test the vaccines first.

We will be sure to be safe. No?

What gives?

Does the same poster, who wrote 24 hours ago “Japan is doing everything right” in regards to the handling of the virus, want the vaccine / inoculation or not?

Odd.