All fans banned from Tokyo Olympics as COVID cases rise, delta spreads

Enlarge / Branding is displayed on a fence surrounding the Olympic Stadium on July 8, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has announced a fourth state of emergency for Tokyo which will run throughout the Olympic Games and remain in place until August 22. (credit: Getty | Carl Court)

Both foreign and local sports fans are now barred from attending Tokyo-area Olympic events as COVID-19 cases tick up in the city and the highly transmissible delta variant continues to spread.

Olympic officials agreed to the domestic spectator ban during a meeting Thursday with Japanese officials, who also declared a state of emergency in the world's most populous city due the rise in infections. The state of emergency is set to take effect July 12 and run through August 22. That covers the entirety of the Olympic games, which are scheduled to run from July 23 to August 8. The Paralympics begin August 24.

"Many people were looking forward to watching the games at the venues, but I would like everyone to fully enjoy watching the games on TV at home," Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike said after Thursday's meeting, according to the Associated Press. "It's gut-wrenching because many people looked forward to watching at the venues."