HAVANA, Cuba, Aug 23 (ACN) Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), is in Japan to attend the opening ceremony of the 16th Paralympic Games, to be held this Tuesday at the new Olympic stadium in Tokyo.
Bach returned to Japan a week after the arrival of the president of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), Andrew Parsons, who met today with the governor of the Japanese capital, Yuriko Koike.
Parsons indicated that the IPC is committed to “fully implement the anti-virus measures, to remain vigilant until the last day of the competition and until the athletes and other participants return to their respective countries to make the competition a success”, all this in view of the concern about the infection situation.
Japan is going through its worst wave of COVID-19 since the outbreak of the pandemic and the congestion of the hospital system is critical in many areas, including Tokyo, which has generated concern for the celebration of the Paralympics and for the para-athletes themselves, who in many cases are included in risk groups due to their conditions.
As of Monday, a total of 144 COVID-19 positives had been detected related to the Paralympics, including five athletes. Most of the cases correspond to participants residing in the Japanese archipelago.
The Games kick off this Tuesday with a ceremony that Japan anticipates will make history, and that among its contents will include a tribute to the Afghan athletes.
