Japan asks for small VIP delegations to Olympics amid pandemic

Kyodo / Reuters – Japan has asked nations sending their heads of state or government to this summer’s Olympics and Paralympics to limit the number of each of their accompanying staff to 11 people, sources with knowledge of the matter said Saturday.

Cabinet-level delegations will be limited to five people, the report said.

The Tokyo Games, postponed last year due to concerns over the spread of the novel coronavirus, were rescheduled for July 23 to Aug. 8 this year.

Kyodo said VIP guests will be asked to undergo COVID-19 testing within 72 hours of travelling to Japan and will be re-tested on arrival.

Earlier, the Sankei newspaper reported that Japan is also considering limiting spectators to 50% of venue capacity due to risks posed by the spread of the virus.

Although the number of COVID-19 cases in Japan is relatively low compared to other countries such as the U.S., some areas including Tokyo are still under a state of emergency, with the country experiencing a third wave of the pandemic.