The organisers of the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics have announced that the Games will be staged generally without spectators, as Japan seeks to battle record COVID-19 infections.
In a statement issued on Monday, organisers said municipalities will still be able to have schoolchildren attend events as long as proper COVID-19 safety measures are implemented, while taking into account the wishes of caregivers.
“More stringent measures will be taken for competitions to be held in these prefectures, including no spectators,” organisers said in a joint statement with local and national governments and the International Paralympic Committee.
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The statement said an exception would be made to allow some school children to attend under a special programme.
But organiser’s emphasised children would only participate with “safety measures” and “where local authorities or school administrations request this in response to the wishes of parents and others”.
According to reports, the government of Japan is set to prolong COVID-19 emergency measures in the country’s capital and other regions that will run through the Paralympic Games.
