Tokyo (AFP) – Tick-Tock-Tick.

The countdown clock for the postponed Tokyo Olympics has reached 200 days until Monday.

Tik Tok Tik.

Also on Monday, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said he would consider declaring a state of emergency as new coronavirus cases rise to record numbers in Tokyo and neighboring prefectures. Japan has never been locked down due to COVID-19, in an effort to reconcile the economy with the health risks.

Tik Tok Tik.

The deadlines for organizers of the Tokyo Olympics, the International Olympic Committee, and several Japanese government entities are approaching as they try to end the Games amid the outbreak of the pandemic.

Officials pledged to announce concrete plans early in the new year on how to introduce 15,000 disabled Olympic and Olympic athletes into Japan; About the safety of the athletes‘ village and hundreds of thousands of fans, media, judges, officials, broadcasters and VIPs.

The new year is here.

Suga pledged once again to hold the Olympics, saying it would be „proof that people have beaten the coronavirus.“ He said approval of the vaccine would be accelerated by a month so that vaccinations could start in February instead of March.

Japan has attributed more than 3,400 deaths to COVID-19, which is modest by global standards for a country of 125 million people, but is worrying as new cases rise rapidly. A poll last month by the National Broadcasting Corporation NHK showed 63% want the Olympics to be postponed or canceled.

Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike and Saitama, Chiba and Kanagawa prefectures asked the national government on Saturday to declare a state of emergency after the capital saw a daily record of 1,337 new cases on New Year’s Eve. That was a jump of nearly 400 in a few days.

Yoshiro Mori, chairman of the organizing committee and former prime minister, once again ruled out any cancellation of matches in an interview with Nikkan Sports newspaper several days earlier. Asked when to decide whether to have domestic fans or outside fans.

He replied, „sometime from March to May.“ „The deadline for making a decision will be in May, but it may come soon.“

Any reduction in fans would hurt the Organizing Committee’s budget. Tokyo has allocated $ 800 million for ticket sales, and any shortfalls will have to be compensated by government entities that pay most of the Olympiad bills.

The official Tokyo Olympics budget last month increased to $ 15.4 billion, an increase of $ 2.8 billion due to the delay. However, numerous government reviews in the past few years indicate the true figure is around $ 25 billion.

All public funds except for $ 6.7 billion.

Morey noted that the opening ceremony, scheduled for July 23, could be troublesome with thousands of athletes and officials gathering to parade around the stadium. He also indicated that the ceremony could not be shortened, because the TV broadcasters paid for the profitable time. He said some officials might be excluded from the show.

Television sets much of the Olympic Games schedule, and selling the broadcast rights accounts for 73% of the IOC’s income. Another 18% are big sponsors like Coca-Cola and Toyota.

The torch relay, which begins on March 25th, will face a crowd of 10,000 runners expected in roughly four months. Coca-Cola and Toyota are the main sponsors.

___

More AP Sports: https://apnews.com/apf-sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports