Tokyo Olympics Governor promises city medical system is Games-ready

TOKYO, July 13 (Reuters) – Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike said on Tuesday that a sufficient number of hospitals combined with an acceleration of the vaccination rollout among the elderly means the city will be able to host an Olympics ” safe and secure “in ten days.

But Koike, speaking to Reuters in an interview at government headquarters in Tokyo which has doubled in recent weeks as a vaccination site, also warned that the coronavirus pandemic is far from over and that the spread of the virus is far from over. Delta variant remains a risk.

“Scores of people will be vaccinated in the next ten days and during the Olympics. The biggest change that will result will be a substantial drop in the ratio of deaths and severe cases among the elderly,” said Koike.

“For this reason, and because the medical system is ready, I think we can move forward with a safe Olympics,” said Koike, who has returned to work after a brief break due to fatigue during from which she was admitted to hospital.

The Japanese capital entered its fourth state of emergency on Monday, prompting the early closure of bars and restaurants, amid a rebound in COVID-19 cases that also prompted Games organizers last week to ban spectators of almost all sites.

Foreign spectators were already banned months ago, and authorities are now asking residents to watch the Games on television to minimize movement of people.

“It is very sad that the Games are going on without spectators,” said Koike. “It is clear that we will be able to reduce the risks (because of this), but the spectators are also very important to the athletes and give them a big boost. It is such a shame that we have to host the Olympics without them. . “

Koike, 68, often touted as a potential prime minister, was re-elected governor in a landslide last year, gaining public support for her candid approach to the pandemic, in contrast to a slow vaccination rollout to nationwide.

The Citizens First party, linked to Koike, did well in this month’s local assembly election, leading to speculation – so far refuted by Koike – that she could make a return to national politics.

On Tuesday, she did not directly answer questions on the subject.

President of the International Olympic Committee Thomas Bach, who is in Japan ahead of the Games, plans to visit the city of Hiroshima on Friday, Yahoo News reported. Hiroshima, in western Japan, was the first city to suffer atomic bombardment.

Bach will also visit the cities of Fukushima and Sapporo, the Japanese news agency Kyodo reported.

The Games, postponed from last year due to the pandemic, run from July 23 to August 8, while the state of emergency – the capital’s fourth – lasts until August 22, shortly before the start of the Paralympic Games.

Reporting by Antoni Slodkowski; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan and Christian Radnedge

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