Tokyo 2020: Torch relay to hold amid strict compliance to covid-19 protocols
Tokyo 2020 president Seiko Hashimoto on Wednesday (March 24) vowed to prioritize safety for the Olympic torch relay race a day before it kicks off from Fukushima in northeastern Japan.
On Thursday (March 25), the relay will kick off a countdown to the games in Tokyo – the first-ever organized during a deadly pandemic.
Hashimoto told a news conference that the “health and activities of the (torch relay) staff will be thoroughly managed.
She promised that the organizing committee will work closely with local governments nationwide to manage the event
The torch that will be used in the relay was also displayed in the news conference before being delivered for the event.
The torch relay for the Tokyo Olympics begins this week from the j-village national training centre in Fukushima, where many residents were forced to evacuate after a massive earthquake and tsunami caused a meltdown at a nuclear plant 10 years ago.
The four-month event has been hit by several high-profile runner cancellations, as celebrities have pulled out, citing late notice and worries about drawing crowds during the pandemic.
