Olympics Bans Spectators After Tokyo Declares COVID-19 Emergency

Olympics Bans Spectators After Tokyo Declares COVID-19 Emergency
Scaffoldings for the spectator seats are seen at Aomi Urban Sports Park, in Tokyo, Japan July 8, 2021. Issei Kato/Reuters
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TOKYO—The Tokyo Olympics will take place without spectators, organizers said on Thursday, as a resurgent pandemic forced Japan to declare a coronavirus state of emergency for the capital that will run throughout the event.

Although widely expected, the move marked a sharp turnabout from just weeks earlier, when organizers said they aimed to hold the global sporting showpiece with limited spectators.