Tokyo Motor Show cancelled this year, organiser says by Reuters
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TOKYO, April 22 (Reuters) - The Tokyo Motor Show will be cancelled this year due to the global pandemic, the head of the country s auto industry lobby announced on Thursday.
Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA) Chairman Akio Toyoda said the group, organiser of the show normally held around late October to early November, felt it was difficult to provide a safe environment amid surging coronavirus cases. (Reporting by Eimi Yamamitsu; Editing by Ritsuko Ando)
Tokyo Motor show cancelled due to pandemic
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Last Updated: Apr 22, 2021, 11:37 AM IST
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Synopsis
The biennial car show - one of Japan s biggest industrial events - had been scheduled for the autumn, after the Tokyo Olympics take place this summer.
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This year s Tokyo Motor Show has been cancelled for the first time ever because of the coronavirus, Japan s auto industry group said on Thursday. The biennial car show - one of Japan s biggest industrial events - had been scheduled for the autumn, after the Tokyo Olympics take place this summer. The last Tokyo Motor Show in 2019 drew around 1.3 million people, according to the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA). But this year s event was cancelled because it is difficult to offer our main programme in a safe and secure environment , said JAMA chairman Akio Toyoda, also head of Toyota.
Japan’s government is expected to place Tokyo and three western prefectures under a third state of emergency that could last for about two weeks, according to media reports, underscoring its struggle to deal with a surge in new COVID-19 case numbers.
Some analysts say the decision, expected to be made as early as Friday, may push Japan back into recession if retailers are asked to close during the Golden Week holidays, which start next week and run through early May.
A renewed state of emergency and a slow vaccine rollout would also cast doubt on whether Tokyo can host the Olympics in July, despite Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga’s assurances it will proceed as planned. Tokyo 2020 organisers said a policeman who worked with the torch relay in western Kagawa prefecture had tested positive for the virus.
LONDON Organizers say 4,000 people will be able to attend the ceremony for Britain s leading music prize night next month as part of the governmentâs easing of coronavirus restrictions.
In a statement Thursday, the Brit Awards said audience members attending the indoor ceremony at Londonâs O2 Arena on May 11 will not have to socially distance or even wear face coverings once seated. It said the ceremony will be the first major indoor music event in the country to welcome back a live audience since the coronavirus pandemic erupted more than a year ago.
Instead, as part of the governmentâs pilot program for resuming live events, attendees will need to provide proof of a negative coronavirus test to enter the venue and will be required to provide details to test and trace authorities and follow travel guidance for getting to and from the venue.