Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Olympics To Happen Under Covid State Of Emergency, Likely Without Fans
The Wall Street Journal: Tokyo Olympics To Be Held Under Covid-19 State Of Emergency
Japan declared a new state of emergency due to Covid-19 that will continue through the Summer Olympics, making it likely the organizers will drop plans to allow some spectators at the Games. Japan and some other countries in Asia that have been slow to roll out vaccinations are experiencing new waves of infection, exacerbated by the more contagious Delta variant. On Thursday, Tokyo reported 896 new cases, up 27% from a week earlier. (Gale, 7/8)
The New York Times: Fans At Tokyo Olympics Likely To Be Barred Amid Covid Emergency
The Japanese government declared a new state of emergency in Tokyo on Thursday after a sudden spike in coronavirus cases, wreaking fresh havoc on preparations for an Olympic Games that organizers have insisted can be held safely amid a pandemic. The decision could force officials to abandon plans announced late last month to allow domestic spectators at Olympic events, a move that had been met with public opposition over concerns that the Games would become a petri dish for new variants of the virus. (Dooley, 7/8)
AP: Japan To Declare Virus Emergency Lasting Through Olympics
The Games already will take place without foreign spectators, but the planned six-week state of emergency likely ends chances of a local audience. A decision about fans is expected later Thursday when local organizers meet with the International Olympic Committee and other representatives. Tokyo is currently under less-stringent measures that focus on shortened hours for bars and restaurants but have proven less effective at slowing the spread of the coronavirus. (Yamaguchi, 7/8)
Bloomberg: As Olympics Near, Japan Races To Sort Vaccine Bottlenecks
Several of Japan’s biggest municipalities, including parts of Tokyo and Osaka, have stopped taking new reservations for Covid-19 vaccinations in the latest hiccup for the country’s effort to vaccinate its people, with the Tokyo Olympics just over two weeks away. The bottlenecks in distribution are sowing confusion among vaccine seekers, complicating a vaccination campaign that has sped up rapidly in recent weeks after criticism over a slow start. (Mizuta and Du, 7/8)
In other Olympics updates —
AP: Official Dropped From Fiji Olympic Team After Positive Test
An official due to travel to Tokyo with the Fiji Olympic team has been withdrawn after testing positive for COVID-19. The Fiji Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee confirmed the positive test Thursday but did not say what role the official held. (7/7)
