Audiences prohibited entering Tokyo 2020 Olympic venues

 Spectators will be prohibited from entering Olympic sites in Tokyo due to a virus outbreak, according to Japan's Olympic minister, which means the Games will be held largely behind closed doors.

After negotiations with local and national government officials, organizers
, and Olympic and Paralympic executives, Tamayo Marukawa remarked, "We reached an agreement on no spectators at venues in Tokyo."

The majority of the Olympic competition will take place in Tokyo, while a few events will be hosted elsewhere throughout Japan. In other locations, organizers will decide on "concrete measures" for spectators after negotiations with each local governor, according to Marukawa.

The public has previously been urged to avoid the marathon, which is being held in northern Hokkaido to avoid the summer heat in Tokyo.

A major portion of the torch relay's journey throughout the country was also held behind closed doors due to virus fears. The spectator decision comes after Japan's government declared a viral state of emergency in Tokyo from July 12 to August 22. The policy is a lot more lenient than other countries' strict lockdowns, but it comes as infections in the capital are on the rise, and there's fear about an increase in the Delta variant's prevalence.