IOC reassures anxious Japan Olympics will be safe

International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach (on screen) delivers an opening speech at a meeting of the IOC Coordination Commission for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, in Tokyo

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Wednesday reassured an anxious Japan that the Tokyo Olympics will be safe for athletes as well as the host community amid mounting opposition to the Games and fears it will fuel a spike in Covid-19 cases. Speaking in Tokyo alongside senior Japanese officials, IOC chief Thomas Bach said more than 80% of residents of the Olympics Village would be vaccinated or booked for vaccination ahead of the Games due to start on July 23. He rejected mounting calls for the global sporting showpiece - already delayed once due to the pandemic - to be cancelled, saying other sporting events had proven that the Olympics could go ahead with strong COVID-safe precautions. Bach's comments came as Japan continued to struggle with a fourth wave of infections and a slow vaccine rollout which has undermined the public's already shaky confidence that the Games should go ahead.