Fears of a fifth wave of infection have been raised by a rise in coronavirus cases in Tokyo, just a month before the Olympics.Tokyo recorded 317 infections Monday, an increase of 81 compared to the same day last Friday and the ninth consecutive week-on-week increase.Given the evidence of the spreading Delta variant, and the increase in cases, it is likely that Tokyo will be subject to some emergency measures when the Olympics open on 23 Jul.Yasutoshi Nishimura, Japan's minister for pandemic response, said this week that the government will not hesitate to declare a new emergency if necessary.In an interview with NHK, he stated that the number of new infections in Tokyo and the surrounding areas is on the rise.Two members of the Ugandan team were tested for Covid-19 while they were in town hosting their training camp. This highlighted the dangers of staging an event of this magnitude during a pandemic. Local media reported that both had the virus' delta variant.Katsunobu Kato (chief cabinet secretary) responded by saying that Japan would tighten its quarantine requirements for athletes from regions where the delta strain was detected.Yasuhiro Yamashita (president of the Japan Olympic Committee) acknowledged that there would be cases in connection to the Games.Yamashita stated that no matter how many precautions you take, infected persons will still come in, regardless of what. It is crucial to have strict border controls at airports.Even though there was evidence of a decline in infection rates, signs that the virus is resurfacing emerged days after Tokyo's government lifted the state of emergency.Relaxed quasi-emergency measures are now in place for the capital. Bars and restaurants will be asked to cease serving alcohol after 7pm and close an hour later.Japan avoided a devastating Covid-19 epidemic, but the slow rollout of vaccines and restrictions on government's ability to close businesses have resulted in repeated reboundes after emergency measures are lifted.Since the outbreak of the pandemic, the country has seen almost 800,000. It also saw 14,700 deaths. This is one of the highest death tolls in the region.John Coates (a senior member IOC) caused anger in Japan when he claimed that the Olympics would proceed even though Tokyo was under emergency.After a meeting with organizers, Coates, an IOC vice president responsible for preparations, stated that all the measures taken will ensure safe Games, regardless of whether there's a state emergency.As long as we can protect the Japanese people, it is important to give athletes the chance to compete.Recent surveys show that there is strong opposition to the host city. According to the Asahi Shimbun newspaper poll, 38% wanted the Games to proceed as planned. 27% asked for further delays and 33% said they should be cancelled.Mainichi Shimbun conducted a poll and found that 58% of respondents opposed the event. 30% were in favor.
