International spectators to be barred from entering Japan for Olympics

Tokyo: International spectators will not be allowed to enter Japan during this summer's delayed Olympic Games amid public concerns over the coronavirus, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Organising Committee said on Saturday.

Olympic and Paralympic tickets purchased by overseas residents will be refunded, according to a statement released following a five-party meeting including the head of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach, and Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike. "It's very unfortunate," Koike said of the decision to reporters after the meeting, but added that the conclusion was "unavoidable" given that the main priority for holding a successful Games would be the health of the athletes and the Japanese public.