The XXXII Olympiad was originally slated for 2020 in Japan but was postponed in March 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic it was rescheduled to July of 2021.
The Daily Mail reported that, Japan’s government is expected to widen a virus state of emergency May 14, 2021, just 10 weeks before the Tokyo Olympics are set to open. The widening emergency, aimed at combating a fourth wave which is putting Japan’s medical system under strain, comes with public opinion firmly opposed to holding the Games this summer, fearing further infections.
350,000 people have signed a petition calling for Tokyo Olympics to be cancelled as Japan expands Covid-19 state of emergency. Only 1% of the Japanese population is fully vaccinated. Kenji Utsunomiya, a former candidate for Tokyo governor, urged Games organizers to ‘prioritize life’ as he submitted the 351,000-signature petition to city authorities.
On May 13, 2021, a doctors’ union warned it was ‘impossible’ to hold the Games safely during the pandemic, but organizers say virus countermeasures will keep the athletes and Japanese public safe. One of the country’s most prominent businessmen, SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son, said he is ‘afraid’ of the Games going ahead. ‘I am very much afraid of having the Olympics,’ he told CNBC. ‘Not just Japan, but many countries they’re having still a big, tough situation, I don’t know how they can support sending athletes.’