Tokyo, April 13: The torch relay for the Tokyo Olympics ran through a mostly empty Osaka city park on Tuesday, showing the risks of trying to hold the postponed games during a pandemic.
It came on the same day that the government said new coronavirus cases in Osaka hit 1,099, a single-day record for Japan’s second largest metropolitan area.
Osaka, which announced plans last week to take the relay off city streets and bar the public, became the first detour since the relay began. Many runners arrived in Osaka’s Expo ’70 Commemorative Park by bus and ran short legs carrying the torch alongside metal barriers or in empty park space.
They were accompanied by security officials who jogged or walked alongside, and followed by an “escort” or “promotional” vehicle festooned with logos of major Olympic sponsors. Opposition to holding the Olympics in a pandemic is strong in Japan with up to 80% saying the games should be canceled or postponed. (AP)
