The Tokyo 2021 Olympics will be held behind closed doors, organizers announced Thursday (July 8). “No spectators,” said Games Minister Tamayo Marukawa.

Earlier, Tokyo 2020 President Seiko Hashimoto said that the organizers “will have to send a strong and easy-to-understand message from the perspective of tackling the spread” of the virus. ” And she added: “This is going to be a very difficult decision to make. ”

This announcement comes a few hours later of the reinstatement of the state of emergency in Tokyo until August 22, to deal with the spread of the virus. It is in this context that Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), participated in a remote meeting (he arrived in Japan yesterday and must therefore observe a quarantine of three days) on the issue of health measures. “We will support all measures that allow the Olympic and Paralympic Games to be safe for the Japanese and for the participants,”.