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Tokyo, IOC Announce Ban on Overseas Spectators at 2021 Olympics


FILE - A man wearing a mask to protect against the coronavirus walks past a banner advertising the postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympics, in an underpass in Tokyo, Japan, Jan. 19, 2021.
FILE - A man wearing a mask to protect against the coronavirus walks past a banner advertising the postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympics, in an underpass in Tokyo, Japan, Jan. 19, 2021.

Most fans will be banned from the postponed 2020 Olympic Games when they open in July, Tokyo organizers and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced Saturday.

The official announcement that spectators from overseas will not be allowed at the Summer Games follows a meeting of the “five-party” group, including the IOC, local organizers, the Japanese government, the Tokyo metropolitan government and the International Paralympic Committee.

"In order to give clarity to ticket holders living overseas and to enable them to adjust their travel plans at this stage, the parties on the Japanese side have come to the conclusion that they will not be able to enter into Japan at the time of the Olympic and Paralympic Games," the Tokyo organizing committee said in a statement.

Before the postponement a year ago due to the COVID-19 outbreak, organizers said that 7.8 million tickets were available for the Tokyo Games.

The Tokyo Olympics are scheduled to be held from July 23 to August 8, followed by the Paralympics from August 24 to September 5.

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