Last modified on Thu 11 Feb 2021 13.07 EST
The Tokyo 2020 Olympics could place an intolerable strain on Japanese health workers who are already exhausted from battling three waves of coronavirus infections, medical experts have warned.
Japan has avoided the catastrophic number of deaths seen in other major economies, but about half the population is still living under a state of emergency that is expected to last until the beginning of March, just weeks before preparations for the Olympics are due to begin with a nationwide torch relay.
While case numbers have fallen since the latest state of emergency was declared on 7 January, Japan reported a record 121 Covid-19 deaths on Wednesday, bringing the total to 6,678, according to the health ministry. Tokyo – by far the hardest hit region – has reported just over 105,000 cases and 1,078 deaths.