Insistence that Olympics will proceed comes despite border clamp, fresh curbs
Japan on Wednesday expanded a state of emergency to another seven prefectures and banned entry of all foreign travelers, all the while insisting the Tokyo 2020 Olympics would kick off in the summer come hell or high water.
A woman wearing a protective face mask and face shield is seen inside Japan Olympics Museum, a day before the start of the one-year countdown to the Tokyo Olympics that have been postponed to 2021 due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Tokyo, Japan July 22, 2020. [Photo/Agencies]
The declaration came after the governors of Osaka, Kyoto and other hard-hit prefectures requested the central government to do so. This gives the authorities the ability to place restrictions on residents movements and business operations.