The organizing committee of this summer's Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics said it will not accept volunteers from overseas in principle as a precaution to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.
The organizing committee's CEO, Toshiro Muto, however, said Monday it will consider allowing in foreign-based volunteers with skills necessary for the smooth running of the games under special entry rules.
Officials with knowledge of the planning said the exception could be made for around 500 volunteers, whose roles cannot easily be performed by somebody living in Japan, such as those who are capable of speaking minority languages.