Governors of prefectures near Tokyo have refused to secure hospital beds exclusively for the use of Olympic and Paralympic athletes or other participants if they become infected with the novel coronavirus.
Chiba Gov. Toshihito Kumagai said at a press conference on Thursday, "We're not planning to secure beds exclusively for patients involved in the Olympics if it means they cannot be used for prefecture residents." Kumagai also expressed his intention to refuse any requests from the organizing committee to do so.
The Games organizing committee has already asked hospitals in the prefecture to secure beds, but the facilities have refused, according to the prefectural government.
Ibaraki Gov. Kazuhiko Oigawa said at a press conference on Wednesday that the prefecture had refused a request from the organizing committee, while Kanagawa Gov. Yuji Kuroiwa said at a press conference on Tuesday that beds would not be secured exclusively for people involved in the Games, but such patients would receive the same treatment as prefecture residents.
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