Tokyo Games could lead to Olympic coronavirus variant - Japanese doctor

The head of a Japanese doctors' union said on Tuesday that holding the Olympic Games in Tokyo this summer, with tens of thousands of people from around the world, could lead to the emergence of an "Olympic" coronavirus strain.

Japan has pledged to hold a "safe and secure" 2020 Olympics in Tokyo after a year-long postponement but is struggling to contain a fourth wave of infections and preparing to extend a state of emergency in much of the country.

Japanese officials, Olympics organisers and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) have said the Games will go ahead under strict virus-prevention measures. Foreign spectators have been banned and a decision on domestic ones is expected next month.

But even with those steps, worries remain about the influx of athletes and officials into Japan, where a vaccination drive remains slow, with just over 5% of the population having had a shot.

People from more than 200 nations and territories are set to arrive and the Games, due to begin in eight weeks, pose a danger, said Naoto Ueyama, head of the Japan Doctors Union.

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