With the games scheduled to begin in just over eight weeks, the IOC and Tokyo Olympic organizers will begin three days of virtual meetings on Wednesday. They will face some of the strongest medical community opposition yet.

IOC Vice President John Coates will lead the talks, attempting to reassure the Japanese people that the games will be safe and stable."

Most of Japan is in a state of emergency, including Tokyo and Osaka, forcing IOC President Thomas Bach to cancel a trip to Japan this month. Just about 1-2 percent of the population is completely vaccinated, and surveys show that resistance to the Olympics is running at 60-80%.

In a letter sent last week to Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike, and Seiko Hashimoto, the president of the organizing committee, the 6,000-member Tokyo Medical Practitioners' Association called for the Olympics to be canceled in one of the strongest statements so far.
The letter was made available on the group's website this week.

The letter said, "We believe the correct option is to cancel an event that has the potential to increase the number of infected people and deaths."

Viruses are transmitted by the movement of humans. If the Olympics and Paralympics intensify the pandemic, raising the number of people who may suffer and die, Japan will bear a heavy burden."

On July 23, the Olympics will begin. On August 24, the Paralympics will take place. They're a financial necessity for the International Olympic Committee, which makes up to 75% of its revenue from television rights sales and another 18% from sponsorship.

While government audits say the number is much higher, Japan has officially invested $15.4 billion to organize the Olympics.

There is no sign that the games will be canceled, though small street demonstrations and online petition drives are continuing. The British Medical Journal came out against the Olympics last month.

COVID-19 has claimed the lives of over 11,500 people in Japan.

The Tokyo Medical Practitioners' Association has warned of potential deterioration of Japan's medical system, which could be put under even more strain as the Olympics approach in Tokyo's hot and humid summer months.

Our country is currently experiencing a fourth outbreak of coronavirus cases, the worst so far "According to the letter.

"The medical services dealing with COVID-19 are nearing their breaking point. The truth is that the medical system as a whole is facing an almost insurmountable challenge in trying to respond to the coronavirus."

Organizers estimate that 10,000 medical staff will be needed during the Olympics in Tokyo. They've also requested an additional 500 nurses and 200 sports medicine specialists.

Several prefectures near Tokyo have stated that treating Olympic athletes is not a priority.

The medical system's doctors and nurses who are being asked to respond are already drained, and there is no additional manpower or treatment facility available "the addition of the letter

Foreign fans have already been barred, and Olympic organizers are expected to decide next month if local fans will be permitted to attend in restricted numbers.

The Olympics and Paralympics will bring 15,000 competitors and tens of thousands of spectators into Japan, which has been closed to the outside world for more than a year.