A Japanese government panel tasked with formulating steps to counter the coronavirus pandemic at next summer's rescheduled Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics held its first meeting on Friday with a plan to submit an interim report by the end of the year, Kyodo reported. The panel, led by Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Kazuhiro Sugita, in cooperation with the Tokyo metropolitan government and the local Olympic organizing committee, is specifically in charge of crafting border control and safety measures. "From the perspective of realizing a safe and secure Games, we will carefully consider effective measures and put them into practice," Sugita told the meeting. The Japanese government and the organizing committee are assuming that the global spread of the virus, which causes the COVID-19 respiratory disease, will not be completely contained by the time of the Tokyo Games, but are considering easing entry restrictions for foreign athletes. The relaxation is expected to be made on the condition that athletes submit documents proving that they have tested negative for the virus and accept limited movement within Japan, according to government officials. Attendees at the first meeting also included officials from the foreign and health ministries, as well as the immigration agency. Meanwhile, Japan's top athletes put the new Tokyo Olympic stadium through its paces at a track meet Sunday, one year ahead of the Games. The televised competition was held behind closed doors, with only athletes and a few hundred journalists and officials in attendance at the 60,000-seat facility, which is still undergoing construction work on its exterior. High jumpers got the Golden Grand Prix 2020 meet under way as up-tempo music and the lively voices of stadium announcers filled the air. Competition was held in a near-empty stadium with the athletes not getting their energized support form the non-existent crowd. The event was held as Japan takes cautious steps to reopen its economy, with professional baseball, football and sumo resuming in front of limited number of fans. But the nation is also seeing a rebound in new infection figures, particularly in urban areas including Tokyo and Osaka. Japanese Olympic organizers have said the Games will take place from July to August next year but have yet to decide details, including how many spectators to allow. — Agencies
