Japan declares state of emergency, bans Olympic spectators as COVID surges

After a surge of COVID-19 cases, Japan on Thursday declared a state of emergency in Tokyo, where the Olympics are set to begin in two weeks. Now no spectators will be allowed at Games played in the capital city or other regions impacted by the declaration. As COVID cases continue to rise in the country, just 16% of Japanese citizens are fully vaccinated. So what does the state of emergency mean, and what will the Olympics look like? 

Credits

Guest:

Host:

Madeleine Brand

Producers:

Sarah Sweeney, Angie Perrin, Michell Eloy, Amy Ta, Rosalie Atkinson, Brian Hardzinski, Bennett Purser