In the press conference answering to these calls the head of the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee has said that he would hold "discussions" on the Games' future if necessary and the whole team is monitoring infection numbers closely with another team ready to take rapid actions if needed.
When are the Olympics and Paralympics?
Officially the 2020 Summer Olympic Games were scheduled to take place between 23 July and 8 August of 2020 but due to Covid the games were postponed and now keeping concerns of everyone there are some first events which already have begun.
On the other hand the Paralympic Games got rescheduled too and are due to run between 24 August and 5 September.
The Olympic games will be played across 42 venues featuring 339 events in 33 sports. While on the contrary the Paralympics will feature 539 events in 22 sports across 21 venues.
Although some football games and the marathon will take place in the northern city of Sapporo but mostly all events are in the Greater Tokyo area.
What's Happening with Covid in Japan?
Though a new wave of infections began in April but overall the country has had relatively low case numbers with 848,222 confirmed cases and 15,062 deaths as of 21st July.
Most of the other developed nations started vaccination way earlier than in Japan as there vaccination drive began neck in February only and currently only around 126 million people is fully vaccinated which is around 22% of Japan's population.
The two cities Tokyo and Osaka hit hardest by the recent surge as authorities hope over-65s will be fully vaccinated by the end of July.
What Covid Measures will be in Place for Visiting Athletes?
All the International athletes and support staffs will need to go through regular testing before departure and on arrival in Japan. Indian athletes are required to stay within their Team GB bubble for at least the first two days in the country while getting tested every day.
On the contrary such European countries such as team UK needs to stay within their team bubble for three days prior to their involvement in any kind of practice sessions and events.
Although International Olympic Committee (IOC) officials expect around 80% will be vaccinated but as per the official rule book its not said that all the athletes needs to be vaccinated.
The first Olympian to be ruled out of action after testing positive for Covid was a Chilean taekwondo athlete who tested positive on 21st July.
British athlete Amber Hill who has withdrawn from the women's skeet competition was one of more than 70 people who tested positive for the virus who were associated with the games.
Will There be Any Spectators?
A state of emergency was declared in Tokyo on 8 July as the ministers decided to ban all spectators from the Olympics. It was in response to a spike in Covid cases and until 22nd August it would stay in place.
It was previously announced in March that up to 10,000 Japanese spectators were due to go while on the contrary international fans would not be able to attend the games. Whether Japanese spectators will be able to attend the Paralympics is a decision which still has not been made.
Seiko Hashimoto who is the President of Tokyo 2020 games said she was "sorry to those who purchased tickets and everyone in local areas".
Could the Games be Cancelled?
As per the contract between the IOC and the host city Tokyo only the IOC can cancel the event.
The IOC is estimated to make around 18% from sponsorship while another whooping 70% of its money from broadcast rights. It has repeatedly insisted that under a state of emergency the Games can go ahead safely.
The thought of rescheduling the competition "caused sleepless nights" for the IOC President Thomas Bach who insisted that the Games must go ahead "to give hope" for the future.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the head of the World Health Organization also backed the competition with an argument that it could show what can be done with the correct Covid safeguards.
But Toshiro Muto who is the head of the Tokyo 2030 organizing committee has not ruled out cancelling the Olympic Games even at this late stage. He said he would hold "discussions" if necessary keeping an eye on infection numbers.
The risks and losses would probably fall on the Japanese side if the Tokyo organizers were to cancel the contract. $12.6bn (£8.9bn) is said to be the budget for the Tokyo Olympics 2020, although it's been reported that the actual cost may be double of that.
Do people in Japan want the Olympics?
Because of fears about Covid and extra pressure on the healthcare system several towns set to host athletes reportedly pulled out earlier in the year. A Japanese doctors' union said in the month of May they it was "impossible" to hold the Games given sudden rise during the pandemic.
The leading Asahi Shimbun newspaper posted a poll in May which suggested that more than 80% of the population want the to be cancelled or postponed. The paper also called for the event to be cancelled.
What have Athletes' Representatives Said?
Many concerns have been expressed by a number of bodies. Representing 85,000 athletes in over 60 countries, the World Players Association said the IOC must do more to ensure athletes' safety with more rigorous testing and stricter physical distancing.
Largely a low profile have been kept by the Japanese athletes, but tennis champion Naomi Osaka who is currently the country's biggest sports star, previously said there should be a debate about whether the Games should go ahead or not.
But as per now the game is all set to began officially as some of the events have already started.
Written by: Gourav Chowdhury
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