Over 80 percent of Japanese oppose hosting Olympics this year: Poll

Tokyo, May 17 (EFE).- An overwhelming majority of over 80 percent Japanese oppose the hosting of Olympics this year, a new poll published on Monday showed, with less than two months until the Tokyo Games.

A survey conducted by the Asahi newspaper over the weekend has found that more than 83 percent of Japanese believe that the event should not be held this summer.

Of this, 40 percent want the Games postponed, and 43 percent think that the event should be canceled.

The number of people wanting to cancel the event has gone up from 35 percent in the survey done in April and March.

Only 14 percent want that the organizer should go ahead with the inauguration scheduled for July 23.

The figure has gone down from 28 percent in the previous month.

Nine of the 47 prefectures in Japan are in health emergency due to the fourth wave of the Covid-19 outbreak.

A record number of critically ill patients are in intensive care units of Japanese hospitals amid the virus surge.

Vaccination in Japan is progressing slowly.

The government roadmap does not include achieving herd immunity by the time the Games are held, sparking concerns as tens of thousands of participants will land in the country whose borders are closed to visitors.

The organizers of the Games, the authorities in Tokyo, and Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga believe that it is possible to hold the event “safely.”.

However, 73 percent of the respondents surveyed by Asahi do not share the optimism.

Skepticism is high among the elderly.

More than half of the Japanese in their 60s believe that the Games should not go ahead as planned.

A similar survey carried out by the Kyodo news agency indicated that nearly 60 percent of those surveyed believe that Tokyo 2020 should be canceled.

A little over 25 percent want to go ahead but without spectators, and 12.5 percent favor a limited audience.

However, Kyodo’s figures are not comparable to the Asahi survey since the options put to the respondents did not include delaying the Games.

The organizers have said the Games spectators from abroad would not be allowed to attend by Games.

But the Kyodo survey found that nearly 88 percent of respondents are concerned that the influx of athletes and other participants may worsen the spread of Covid- 19. EFE

mra/ssk