With 15 days to go until the Olympic Games, Japan has declared a state of emergency in Tokyo due to the coronavirus. It’s the fourth state of emergency for the capital since the pandemic began.
Surging COVID-19 cases in Tokyo have hit a two-month high, with 920 new cases reported on Wednesday, up from 714 last Wednesday. International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach is scheduled to arrive in Tokyo on Thursday.
The state of emergency has Japanese officials considering banning all spectators from the Olympics, according to Reuters.
Overseas spectators have already been banned, and organizers plan to cap attendance at 50 percent for domestic spectators at each venue in an effort to contain the spread of the virus.