How safe are the Tokyo Olympics from COVID-19? | Al Jazeera

After a year-long delay, the Tokyo Olympics is finally happening.

But there is little excitement in the Japanese capital, where an estimated 85,000 delegates – including athletes, officials and reporters – are expected to converge for the global sporting event’s opening ceremony on Friday.

With the world still in the grip of the coronavirus pandemic and the Olympic host city in its fourth virus-related state of emergency, a largely unvaccinated Japanese public is worried the Summer Games could turn into a super-spreader event and overwhelm the country’s already strained healthcare system.

Adding to those concerns, daily cases in Tokyo are currently at their highest in six months while at least 91 people accredited to the Olympics have now tested positive for COVID-19.