Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Japan's Emperor Signals Concern The Olympics Will Worsen Covid Outbreak
The Washington Post: The Tokyo Olympics Just Got An Important No-Confidence Vote — From Japan’s Emperor
Japanese Emperor Naruhito appears “concerned” that this summer’s Olympics in Tokyo could cause a rise in coronavirus infections, according to the head of the Imperial Household Agency (IHA).“His majesty is very worried about the current infection situation of the COVID-19 disease,” Yasuhiko Nishimura, grand steward of the agency, told a regular news conference on Thursday, the Kyodo News agency reported. (Denyer, 6/24)
CNBC: Doctor Shortage Contributed To Japan's Slow Vaccine Rollout: Professor
A shortage of doctors and nurses in Japan’s aging population contributed to the country’s sluggish Covid vaccine rollout, says Keio University professor Sayuri Shirai. As of June 21, only 18.3% of Japan’s population has received at least one Covid vaccine dose, according to Our World in Data. In comparison, more than 50% of people in the U.S. have received one dose of the vaccine while that figure is even higher in the U.K. at 63.6%. (Huang, 6/23)
The Wall Street Journal: Positive Tests In Uganda Olympic Delegation Challenge Protocols For Tokyo Games
The scenario cuts through several of the layers of protection that Tokyo organizers have been banking on in preparation for the Games. Participants do not have to be vaccinated, but officials have said they expect that up to 80 percent of them will be. Pre-departure testing is a major part of their plan in order to avoid the prospect of infected people traveling to the Games, where they will be crowded together indoors from the moment of their arrival, and then every day they are at the Olympic Village. (Radnofsky and Gale, 6/23)
CNBC: Paralympic Games Could Enable A More Inclusive Post-Pandemic Recovery
This summer’s Tokyo Paralympics present an opportunity for businesses to embrace a vastly underrepresented segment of the workforce and aid the global coronavirus recovery, experts said. The decades-old Games, which showcase the sporting talents of leading disabled athletes, have been instrumental in removing taboos around often “shunned or excluded” members of society, International Paralympic Committee CEO Mike Peters told CNBC. (Gilchrist, 6/24)
