Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
With Olympics A Month Away Japan Reaches Daily 1 Million Shot Target
Bloomberg: Japan Reaches Suga’s Target Of A Million Vaccine Doses Per Day
Japan has surpassed 1 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine administered on a single day, meeting Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga’s target as the inoculation drive accelerates ahead of the political pressure points of the Tokyo Olympics and a general election. The milestone was achieved on June 14, according to data compiled by Bloomberg using figures released from the prime minister’s office on Wednesday. There’s a considerable lag in the reporting of vaccination data by local authorities, so much so that vaccine minister Taro Kono has been reported to suggest the government might skip shipments of shots to municipalities that are slow to report. (Jackman, 6/23)
The New York Times: A Month Before The Olympics, How Is Japan Faring With Covid?
With a month to go until the Tokyo Olympics and a state of emergency freshly lifted in most of the country, Japan is seeing relatively low coronavirus case counts after a surge last month. But the country’s low vaccination rate, especially compared with other rich countries, and variants on the rise there have prompted some public health experts in recent weeks to express concerns about the Games or call for them to be canceled. (Leatherby, 6/23)
Reuters: Tokyo 2020 Organisers Ban Alcohol, Defend Allowing Spectators
With 30 days to go until the start of an Olympic Games dogged by the coronavirus pandemic and by controversy, Tokyo Olympics organisers decided on Wednesday against selling alcohol at venues while defending plans to allow thousands of spectators. Organisers have pushed ahead with preparations for the Games, postponed from 2020 because of the pandemic, despite strong concerns among the Japanese public that hosting delegations from across the globe could result in further COVID-19 outbreaks. (Murakami and Kajimoto, 6/23)
AP: Tokyo Shapes Up To Be No-Fun Olympics With Many Rules, Tests
The Tokyo Olympics, already delayed by the pandemic, are not looking like much fun: Not for athletes. Not for fans. And not for the Japanese public. They are caught between concerns about the coronavirus at a time when few are vaccinated on one side and politicians who hope to save face by holding the games and the International Olympic Committee with billions of dollars on the line on the other. Japan is famous for running on consensus. But the decision to proceed with the Olympics — and this week to permit some fans, if only locals — has shredded it. (Wade, 6/23)
Also —
Reuters: Second Member Of Uganda's Olympic Team Tests Positive For COVID-19 In Japan
A second member of Uganda’s Olympic delegation, an athlete, has tested positive for COVID-19 in Japan, an official from the team’s host city of Izumisano said on Wednesday. (6/23)
CNN: Uganda Olympic Coach Tests Positive For Covid After Arriving In Japan
A coach in Uganda's Olympic team tested positive for Covid-19 upon arrival in Tokyo on Saturday night, according to Japanese officials. Uganda Olympic Committee President Donald Rukare said the coach, who has not been named, has no symptoms. It's not yet clear whether the coach, who is in a government facility, will be barred from participating or sent home. (Ogura, Hollingsworth and Watson, 6/20)
NPR: Weightlifter Laurel Hubbard Will Be The First Openly Trans Athlete In Olympics
New Zealand has named Laurel Hubbard to its women's weightlifting roster for the upcoming Olympics in Tokyo, making her the first openly transgender athlete to compete in the games. Hubbard, 43, will compete in the category for women over 87 kg, about 192 pounds. "I am grateful and humbled by the kindness and support that has been given to me by so many New Zealanders," Hubbard said in a statement on Monday. (Wamsley, 6/21)
