The Olympic Games will be held without spectators at venues in the capital and surrounding prefectures due to a rise in coronavirus infections, officials said Thursday, after organizers made the unprecedented decision just two weeks ahead of the opening of the event.
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announced Thursday that in Tokyo — where quasi-emergency measures are in place — a state of emergency will take effect Monday and last until Aug. 22.
“New cases in the greater Tokyo metropolitan area have been rising since June,” Suga said. “Stronger measures have become necessary in those areas, but could be lifted early if we see evidence of the positive impact of the vaccine rollout.”