
Tokyo 2020 officials will consider asking athletes to spend as little time as possible in the athletes' village during the Olympics and Paralympics next summer, as part of coronavirus measures.
The issue was among those agreed upon on Wednesday to be discussed further among working-level officials from the International Olympic Committee, the International Paralympic Committee and the organizing committee for the 2020 Games, following a three-day session to examine event preparations.
The session, which was also attended by central and Tokyo metropolitan government officials, focused on measures that should be taken during the Games amid the pandemic.
A cap on spectators in accordance with government guidelines for sports events is another issue to be discussed.
The organizing committee aims to include its plans in an interim report to be compiled in December for a government liaison conference.
The working-level session also agreed that social distancing guidelines should be in place for the Games, with the possibility that athletes will be made to stand one meter apart.
However, this would likely be difficult to follow during the opening ceremonies, at which athletes participate in parades.
John Coates, chairman of the coordination commission for the Games who was visiting Japan this week, said he would prefer not to change the tradition as he hopes that every athlete will have the opportunity to participate in the opening ceremony parades.
However, organizing committee President Yoshiro Mori said: "The opening ceremonies will have to be simplified. Athletes will have to put up with [the changes] to some extent."
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/