Japan cut number of visiting Games officials by more than half

TOKYO : Japanese Olympic Games organisers have decided to reduce by more than 50 per cent the expected number of visiting officials the Olympics and Paralympics amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

The number will be cut to about 78,000 people for the events in July, August and September. The Tokyo Olympics organising committee said it had estimated about 177,000 officials would visit the Tokyo Games and the Paralympics before the outbreak of the coronavirus last year, which delayed the events by 12 months. The committee now expects about 59,000 officials from overseas to come to the Olympics, down sharply from 141,000 it had initially planned, reports DPA.

The organisers also slashed the number of officials expected to attend the Paralympics to about 19,000 officials from 36,000. Organizing committee chief executive Toshiro Muto said they will make a final decision next month on how many spectators would be allowed to enter the venues. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Japanese organisers agreed in March to ban overseas spectators from attending the Games due to the pandemic. IANS

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