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(CNN) -
Foreign spectators wishing to attend this summer's Olympic and Paralympic Games will be denied entry to Japan, the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee said in a statement on Saturday.
All tickets purchased by overseas residents for the postponed Games, scheduled to start on July 23, will be refunded.
The decision was made after a virtual meeting between the "Five Parties": the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), the Tokyo Metropolitan Government (TMG), the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee and the Government of Japan, with the IOC and IPC saying they "fully respect and accept this conclusion."
"Currently, the COVID-19 situation in Japan and many other countries around the world remains very challenging and several variant strains have emerged, while international travel remains heavily restricted globally," the statement read.
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“Given the current pandemic situation, it is highly unlikely that entry into Japan will be guaranteed this summer for people from abroad.
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“To give clarity to ticket holders living abroad and to allow them to adjust their travel plans at this stage, the parties on the Japanese side have concluded that they will not be able to enter Japan at the time of the Olympics and Paralympics ».
Organizers say the decision "will further contribute to ensuring the safety of the Games for all participants and the Japanese public" and will not affect accredited participants of the Games, who will be required to follow the "Tokyo 2020 rules. ».
Organizers were forced to postpone the Olympics - for the first time in the event's history - in March 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Games are scheduled to take place from July 23 to August 8 and the Paralympics from August 24 to September 5.
Although the number of coronavirus cases has been low in Japan compared to the United States or the United Kingdom, in recent months its healthcare system has been overwhelmed by the worst wave of infections since the pandemic began.
The country only began vaccinating its population of 126 million with Pfizer-BioNTech injections in late February, more than two months after the vaccine began to be distributed in other countries.
Since the start of the pandemic, Japan has recorded more than 455,000 cases and 8,794 deaths.
In addition to the complications from COVID-19, both Tokyo Olympics chief Yoshiro Mori and Tokyo Olympics creative director Hiroshi Sasaki were forced to resign after making disparaging remarks about women.
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