The entire world is locked into the city of Tokyo, Japan as the 2021 Summer Olympic Games showcase some of the world’s best athletes. However, the megacity is experiencing a crisis outside of the Olympic Village walls. On Tuesday, Tokyo recorded 2,848 new COVID-19 cases, a single-day record for the area. One day later, Tokyo reset the record with 3,177 new COVID-19 cases in 24 hours. Nationally, Japan is also seeing a rise in the number of new COVID-19 cases. On Wednesday, the nation recorded nearly 10,000 new coronavirus cases.
Japan has attempted to fight back against the spread of the virus by limiting indoor gatherings, eliminating fans at Olympic competitions and providing more vaccines to residents. Unfortunately, distributing vaccines has been as difficult for Japan as it has been for many countries. In America, residents enjoy a vaccinating that hovers just below 50%. Meanwhile, less than 15% of the world has been fully vaccinated. In Japan, only 26% of people have been fully vaccinated.
If there is a bright spot in this dark, global COVID-19 spike, it is that no Olympic athletes tested positive for the coronavirus. However, more than 120 athletes have tested positive for the virus prior to or while attending the 2021 Summer Olympic Games. Fortunately, there are no reported widespread outbreaks as of yet.
