People walk by posters promoting the Tokyo 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. Photo: AP/file
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Vaccines not prerequisite for Tokyo Olympics: Kato

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distribution of coronavirus vaccines is not a prerequisite for going ahead with this summer's Tokyo Olympics

Then it will end in a disaster.

28 ( +32 / -4 )

Tow the rusty barge thing back to Nihombashi, it's over.

25 ( +27 / -2 )

Who are they trying to fool? There will be no Olympics. This is a repeat of last year. Foreign athletes will refuse to risk their lives. Period!!

24 ( +26 / -2 )

even without making vaccines a condition,

Virus will consider that during about olympics so and will stop to infect people during olympic.

14 ( +15 / -1 )

Japan's politicians are so focused on getting money from the domestic vaccine makers, that they have no plans to distribute much of the foreign vaccines. To them, only money to their own political families matter. If you are a normal person, don't expect getting the vaccine until 2H 2022, when Japanese domestic vaccines tested on 500 person phase 3 trials gets approved.

17 ( +19 / -2 )

Olympics over the welfare of your own country. Yeah, that seems about right for these know nothing politicians.

24 ( +25 / -1 )

Of course it isn't, same as Kato having a brain wasn't a prerequisite for him getting his job.

14 ( +23 / -9 )

Virus will consider that during about olympics so and will stop to infect people during olympic.

Using the same logic that it only spreads after 8PM.

No one takes these statements seriously anymore.

Olympics will be cancelled due to lack of trust by foreign countries to send their athletes, media etc to a country where nothing was done to curb infections, not even the damn vaccines are being approved on time to give it a little push.

12 ( +13 / -1 )

Is this twat even watching what's happening in Melbourne at present regarding infected overseas arrivals for the Australian Open tennis?

20 ( +20 / -0 )

They take us for fools. This is beyond a joke, it’s sick, offensive.

18 ( +20 / -2 )

It’s a good job that the vaccine isn’t a prerequisite for the olympics. Because it won’t be ready in time.

14 ( +15 / -1 )

Who are they trying to fool? There will be no Olympics. This is a repeat of last year.

Agreed. It won't go ahead or if it does, it will be without spectators. At the most,it will be a half-filled stadium.

Foreign athletes will refuse to risk their lives. Period!!

Mostly amateurs who have dedicated their lives to competing at the Olympics - of course they would go if they have the chance. No chance of any of them risking their lives - all young and healthy. Other international sporting fixtures, such as soccer and cricket are currently taking place.

-3 ( +4 / -7 )

If/when the Olympics happen...The J-Gov't is going to say, "I don't know why we have more deaths from Covid-19 than America. We need to seek our "Panel, for the Panel of Panel of experts". We truely regret our decisions". Followed by a low bow while face down on the floor....

11 ( +12 / -1 )

World leaders and organizations need to step in at this point. This is being mishandled on a huge scale. If this event goes ahead, it will set the world back even further in battling this virus.

11 ( +12 / -1 )

Why don’t the press or people in attendance ask him about what’s happening at the Australian Open, Premier League etc? Cases are popping up all the time and players and staff are getting infected. Why don’t the press really push for answers? I’d love to be sat there in his press conference, heckling him for answers.

11 ( +11 / -0 )

Suga, who turned 72 last month, falls in the second category and will be inoculated when his turn comes, said an official from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.

say whaaa??

Taro Kono, who was appointed to lead the vaccination efforts, promised the swift distribution of doses across the country.

"I will do everything in my power to ensure safe and effective vaccines can be given to as many people as possible, as quickly as possible," 

is this Taro making a run for some sort of legitimacy. Jesus, these guys are good.

The announcements from the nations elites are getting better ( and vaguer ) by the day. A year to prepare to here, just take a moment to think about that..

8 ( +9 / -1 )

My feeling is that many of the Olympiads will be convinced by their coaches to stay away from unvaccinated Japan, and the other delayed issues regarding health safety.

I join the 80% in saying cancel the games. Sports are not life. Life is not a sport.

0 ( +6 / -6 )

Vaccines not prerequisite for Tokyo Olympics...

Of course not, heavy attaché cases full of money are. lol

8 ( +8 / -0 )

Suga, Kato, Nishimura do their jobs. As politicians, they are no trustable.

I am wondering how many J people take granted what they say.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

Let's look at it from a different view - perhaps their desperation to hold the Olympics will motivate them to get the whole nation vaccinated. Sometimes desperation can result in a moon-shot or can galvanize the collective, national will. Looking at the schedule in the article, if they really already have secured agreements for 145 million vaccinations, they could have a significant portion of the population vaccinated by July.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

I'm neutral, more apathetic about the Olympic bid. The organizers should show specific contingency plans if they are to go ahead to host the Games. People have yet to hear any.

Having a worse case scenario is essential to strategic thinking. The cliché like "the Games must be open", "we're making utmost effort for it", "guardian gods will help us in the end (!)" are not a real strategy.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Vaccines not prerequisite for Tokyo Olympics: Kato

Perhaps because it's the Tokyo Olympics that are the prerequisite for a vaccine? Or because there won't even be a Tokyo Olympics? All that's now left of the summer games appears to be the Cheshire-cat grin of Japanese politicians.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Without vaccines some other countries will not send a team to Tokyo for the Olympics. These old men in the Japanese Government and administration departments should stop speaking because they sound like farts!

3 ( +4 / -1 )

if these games take place, I am a space shuttle Captain. Yes, I know the shuttle has been shut down. No, I am not (yet) a pilot. This is what I’m saying....

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Genius level, these people.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

So what does the Olympic Organizer say about this? I mean Tokyo/Japan is just the location, the 'janitor' doesn't make the decision about whether the venue is clear to go or not....

6 ( +6 / -0 )

Them saying this means they know that the vaccines wont be ready for the Olympics so do us all a favor and cancel them now.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Actually I just had an idea that will save all the morons in Government and the IOC a lot of head scratching.

No live spectators and allow only athletes WITH active Corona infections to compete. No medicine (supplements allowed), and we all get to watch on TV and go 'Wow...that country really has robust athletes.'

It seems like a win/win to me?

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

thats sealed it, a number of countries wont attend an Olympics with such lackluster preparation to contain the virus, all those countries with high infection rate sending thousands of people in a plane, the Australia open had 15 plane loads of players and staff, 2 of the planes had infected people now all the people in those planes are in 2 week quarantine. times this by 20 and youll see what the Olympics is going to turn into. every conceivable covid variant all bottled up in Japan with a high percentage of elderly

disaster waiting to happen

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Of course the politicians and their families are already vaccinated or Suga will be at the latest when he goes to the US soon. Or get it there.

why does no journalist ask the question?

And i am stil waiting for the 1st politician worldwide to say he will be the last to take the vaccine in his country. Now THAT would be setting an example rather then going first to show us its safe.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Ok - Ok - Ok -- Let's just say hypothetically that Japan was able to put on the summer Olympics this year and some Countries did participate. Japan being the host country will most likely have the most athletes so they would take home most of the medals.

As an athlete, I don't know if I would want to win a medal that way even if the country I was competing against was a strong one. The athlete's want to compete against the best in the world, not just some of the best. It sort of relate it to when Russia boycotted the Olympics in 1980. Events that they would normally dominate was won by another country - good for them, but wouldn't you want to beat the favorite countries?

Anyway, I still don't see how Japan can make these claims. Sure, they can open it up this summer but how many countries (aside from themselves) will actually come? I'm going to bet not a lot to none. I was looking forward to the 2020 Summer Olympics because Baseball and Women Softball was returning but in the larger scheme of things, I can wait for the Summer Olympics when everything is safe and everyone can compete.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I sincerely hope that as fast as possible includes more than 1,000,000/day vaccines. Then, there should be no problem with the Olympics.

Kono’s statement makes no sense. Maybe he is referring to the fact that vaccines won’t be mandatory for the general population nor the athletes.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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