Japan s Covid-19 cases are surging with less than 90 days until the Tokyo Olympics businessinsider.co.za - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from businessinsider.co.za Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
On Friday, the Japanese government announced that it would put Tokyo, and three other major cities, under a state of emergency. Roughly 25% of the country s population stands to be affected by the announcement. Under the state of emergency, restrictions are expected to include the barring of spectators from events, per Japan Today.
The Olympics are set to begin in just 88 days on July 23, and the state of emergency could affect the setup for the games, even if the declaration ends before torchlight. While the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Japanese government have expressed a commitment to ensuring the game commence this summer, one Japanese official, Toshihiro Nikai, secretary-general of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, has said canceling the Olympics is an option.
Japan to receive 100 million doses of Pfizer vaccine by June as Tokyo 2020 looms Friday, 12 March 2021
Japan is to receive 100 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine by June - one month before the Olympic Games get underway in Tokyo.
According to
Kyodo News, Vaccine Minister Taro Kono revealed Japan would receive nearly 1.8 million vials of the vaccine, which could yield up to roughly 10.7 million doses, per week in May.
Shipments would then increase further in June.
The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine requires two doses.
As a result, the 100 million doses of the vaccine should be able to inoculate 50 million people, nearly half of the Japanese population.
Japan looks set to roll out coronavirus vaccines for the first time
after a panel of Japanese health officials recommended the use of the
Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.