The opening ceremony of the 2021 Tokyo Olympics will be held this week. Should The Games proceed? I say ‘no,’ and here is why.
Courtesy: LA Times
It’s because Japan is under a health state of emergency. The Games will take place during a pandemic, and Japan is a hotspot for the disease. The country’s vaccination rate is under 10%. Although precautions are being taken, athletes are still at risk. At least eight athletes have tested positive for the virus.
Worse yet, according to Japanese doctor Naoto Ueyama, if these games go on they could lead to an Olympic variant of the virus that could cause the worst surges since the pandemic’s beginning.
I believe the Committee has two reasonable choices: cancel the games or make sure everyone is vaccinated before competing. The head of the Olympic Committee said that canceling the games isn’t ruled out as a possibility.
When public health is concerned–especially people from around the world are involved–It’s never too late to call off the games. I hope that the Committee makes the right choice.
Your move, Committee.
