Opening ceremony for Olympic Torch Relay in Japan may have no spectators

TOKYO: The organisers of the Summer Olympic Games in Japan are leaning toward having no spectators at the opening ceremony of the Olympic torch relay to prevent transmission of COVID-19, Sputnik quoted a report by broadcaster NHK on Tuesday.

The delayed relay will begin in the Fukushima prefecture on March 25 and conclude in the Olympic host city of Tokyo on July 23. The starting location was chosen to highlight the recovery made by the prefecture in the wake of the 2011 tsunami and earthquake.

However, to avoid the spread of the coronavirus disease, the local organising committee is considering holding the ceremony without any spectators, according to the news outlet.

Originally scheduled for 2020, the Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo was postponed until 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They are currently planned to take place from July 23 to Aug 8.

-- BERNAMA