Japan is battling a surge in coronavirus infections, while a top executive of Tokyo 2020 Olympics sponsor Toyota faced the real problem.
The legendary Japanese corporation felt “conflicted” over the desire to see the Olympic Games succeed and public concerns about holding the event in less than three months before the event begins.
According to the reviewed plan, the sports event should start on July 23, however, the health officials doubt the country will be ready to welcome the tourists and athletes flow. As of mid-May, the majority of the population wants OG cancelled or postponed for a second timeю
Commenting on the controversial situation inside Japan, the automaker’s operating officer, Jun Nagata, said that as sponsors, the news on cancellation breaks a heart to see public discontent aimed at athletes.
“To be honest, we are conflicted every day over what the best course of action is,” Nagata added during briefing on Wednesday.
Japan’s mass vaccination pace is slow
To cope with the pandemic, the anti-COVID vaccines were developed and approved, and the Japanese government urged people to inoculate themselves. The Asian giant prepares to offer immunization to about 2,500 Olympic and Paralympic athletes and support staff, using donated shots amid public anger over the slow pace of its inoculation campaign.
However, just 2.6% of the population has been vaccinated, and reports last month of priority for athletes spurred anger on social media. “Our officials are saying we’ll make sure we don’t cause trouble for the overall population,” said Miho Kuroda of the Japan Paralympic Committee.
Japan has escaped the worst of the epidemic, but 11,000 people have died and the medical sector has been severely stretched by the latest surge, with 925 new covid cases on Tuesday in Tokyo.
