Joe Apu with agency report

Ahead of the now postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, organisers have ruled that all foreign athletes will require coronavirus tests upon their arrival in Japan, but may not mandate a two-week quarantine period, according to draft measures released yesterday.

According to reuters.com, the decision was reached after a meeting between the Tokyo 2020 organising committee, the Japanese government and the Tokyo metropolitan authorities.

Similarly, Japanese athletes and other participants living in Japan would face similar requirements when travelling to training camps and competition venues under the planned measures which were released yesterday.

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The pandemic, which has infected millions worldwide, has cast a shadow over the viability of next year’s Games, even as Japan’s new Prime Minister, Yoshihide Suga, has emphasised their importance.

Suga also spoke to International Olympic Committee President, Thomas Bach, by phone and had a discussion about holding a successful Games. Suga promised to cooperate closely on holding a safe event for athletes and spectators, his office said.

In the draft plan, Tokyo organisers also proposed to limit travel within Japan for athletes, who would register all domestic travel routes and would be transported to towns hosting national delegations and training sites in dedicated vehicles.