Tokyo 2020: Smoke rising, second wave?

As media reports in Japan estimate the yearlong delay of the Olympic and Parlympic Games caused by the coronavirus pandemic will cost between $2 billion to $6 billion, that’s a lot of money for an economy handcuffed by the disease.

And as the handcuffs get loosened, Tokyo reported 60 new cases of coronavirus on June 28, the highest number of daily cases in the capital since Japan completely lifted the state of emergency in late May.

Despite the daily increase, which climbed from 54 on June 26, Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike rejected claims of a second wave in the host city of next year’s Olympic and Paralympic Games. Tokyo Medical Association chair Haruo Ozaki also suggested it would not be a second wave until daily cases reached 100.

“I don’t believe this is a second wave, more like smoke rising from the first,” Ozaki said, as reported by news agency Kyodo. “However, if Tokyo starts to report more than 100 cases a day like it was in April, there’s only so much that can be done to prevent the health care system from being stretched beyond its limits.”

In total, Japan has reported more than 18,200 cases of coronavirus and 971 deaths. A third of these cases and deaths have come from Tokyo.

The third phase of reopening in the capital began earlier this month, which included allowing bars and restaurants to have longer opening hours. Nightclubs and other entertainment industries not included in the third phase of plans were allowed to open from last week.

The easing of restrictions enabled Tokyo 2020 staff to start returning to the Organizing Committee headquarters after two months working from home. Due to the postponement to 2021, the Olympics have been rescheduled for July 23 to August 8, with the Paralympics set to run from August 24 to September 5.

This latest spike in cases in Tokyo comes as the global total of confirmed COVID-19 cases passed 10 million. Latin America is now considered the center of the pandemic, with the World Health Organization warning that case numbers have not yet peaked in many countries.

Tokyo Olympic Sailing Program
Men’s One Person Dinghy – Laser
Women’s One Person Dinghy – Laser Radial
Men’s Two Person Dinghy – 470
Women’s Two Person Dinghy – 470
Men’s Skiff – 49er
Women’s Skiff – 49erFx
Men’s One Person Dinghy Heavy – Finn
Men’s Windsurfing – RS:X
Women’s Windsurfing – RS:X
Mixed Multihull – Nacra 17

Original dates: July 24 to August 9, 2020
Revised dates: July 23 to August 8, 2021

Details: https://tokyo2020.org/en/games/schedule/olympic/