As we head for the Olympics...

With the Tokyo Olympics set to kick-off in 2 weeks, it is comforting to learn that more than the required precautions have and will continue to be taken to ensure the safety and well-being of Team Singapore’s 23 athletes who will be competing across 12 sports.

In preparation for the Olympics, a comprehensive Tokyo 2020 Playbook has been prepared and circulated to all participating nations. However, the one nagging concern is that the IOC has not made vaccinations compulsory for athletes, officials and spectators. While stringent safety measures have been put in place for athletes and officials, the same cannot be said of spectators. To date, the IOC, IPC, Tokyo 2020, Tokyo Metropolitan Government and the Government of Japan has set the spectator limit at "50 per cent of venue capacity, up to a maximum of 10,000 people" at all venues. However, with only 15% of the local population fully vaccinated, and with the highly transmissible Delta variant on the rise, this is one area of the games that must be closely monitored. The next week or so will prove crucial before a final decision can be made around spectators.

Speaking of spectators and fans, developments from the ongoing Euro 2020 must be thoroughly studied, so any weak areas that can lead to an outbreak can be fixed. To start with, the requirements for admission differed greatly among the 11 venues. Some such as Munich's Football Arena required fans to produce proof of a negative PCR or antigen rapid test performed in Germany and have registered with the Corona-Warn-App or Luca app. On the other end of the spectrum, venues such as the Baku Olympic Stadium and Hampden Park, Glasgow had no testing requirements whatsoever. Then there is UEFA's Euro 2020 stadium rules which stipulate that face coverings must be worn upon entry to the stadium and in all indoor areas, "but masks can be removed when seated in view of the pitch". One does not need a vivid imagination to picture a sea of suspended droplets from all the cheering and jeering. We have also witnessed gatherings and celebrations in pubs and restaurants with little regard for social distancing. Most recently (and might I add, troublingly), UEFA and the British authorities have permitted Wembley Stadium to accommodate 60,000 fans for the Semi’s and Final’s. Prior to this, Wembley hosted 40,000 fans for the England-German Round of 16, when all other stadiums hosted substantially smaller crowds.

Unsurprisingly, news reports are emerging on the rise of coronavirus cases across Europe. The British Medical Association, for example reported that weekly cases in England are up 74% vs. the previous 7-days, while the number of people admitted to hospitals in England with Covid-19 has risen by 55% over the last week. The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare has also reported that positive cases in Finland had nearly doubled over the space of a week, "largely due to football fans returning from Russia" after Euro 2020 games. The same has been reported by Scotland, where nearly 2,000 new cases have been linked to Euro 2020-related events surrounding the Group D match with England on June 18.

All said, while the fans in us are dying to don our country or team jerseys and to shout ourselves hoarse in a collective demonstration of patriotism across stadiums and pubs, it is still not the time to do so. On this note, I am confident that the IOC and the Government of Japan will be closely assessing the situation on the ground as we inch towards the opening ceremony on 23 July. If there is one thing that we can be assured of, it is that of Japanese efficiency. Besides, the Prime Minister, Mr. Yoshihide Suga has also given the assurance last week that the decision on hosting spectators is not set in stone.

It will be gut wrenching to watch the Olympics with no spectators and fanfare. However, if this is what is takes, then it is a small price to pay for the health, safety and well-being of Team Singapore and athletes from all other competing nations.