Organisers of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics have agreed to hold the Games without spectators, after Japan declared a state of emergency for the capital amid rising COVID-19 infections.
The move was made on Thursday following talks between the government, Tokyo organisers and Olympic and paralympic representatives.
Tokyo 2020 President Seiko Hashimoto said it was "regrettable" that the Olympics were going to be held in a limited format, adding her apologies to those who had bought tickets.
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said it was essential to prevent Tokyo, where the highly infectious Delta COVID-19 variant was spreading, from becoming the source of another wave of infections.
Mr Suga said the state of emergency was needed to "prevent the resurgence of the future spread on cases across the country".
The declaration will ban restaurants from serving alcohol and run from July 12 until August 22. Tokyo recorded 896 new infections today.
The state of emergency was declared as IOC president Thomas Bach arrived in Tokyo.
Mr Bach largely avoided cameras at Tokyo's Haneda Airport and, on a rainy afternoon, went to the International Olympic Committee's games headquarters in Tokyo, a five-star hotel in the centre of the city.
He is reported to need to self-isolate for three days.
Tokyo records highest daily infections since May
During Tokyo's third state of emergency, spectator numbers were capped at 5,000 or half of a venue's capacity.
At the time, Japan's professional baseball association banned spectators from several stadia in Tokyo, Osaka and Hyogo prefectures.
Officials in Tokyo confirmed 920 new infections on Wednesday — the highest figure since mid-May.
Cases have risen week-on-week for the last 18 days.
Tomorrow, the Olympic Torch relay hits metropolitan Tokyo — but it's already been pulled from public roads amid coronavirus fears.
Organisers also earlier this week announced they would ask the public not to gather to watch the marathon and walking races being held on streets of the northern island of Hokkaido.
ABC/wires
