Photo/Illutration International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach and Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga at the prime minister’s office on Nov. 16, 2020 (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

Yuichiro Tamaki, leader of the opposition Democratic Party for the People, said International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach should mind his own business concerning the COVID-19 situation in Japan.

Bach said on April 21 after being informed that another state of emergency would be declared in Tokyo that the expected anti-virus measures are about the Golden Week holidays and “not related to the Olympic Games.”

He said the third state of emergency for the capital, as well as other prefectures, is a proactive move by the Japanese government to contain the recent surge of infections during the holiday period, and that the declaration would not affect the Games slated to begin in 92 days.

Tamaki took issue with Bach’s comments.

“How to manage public health is something that Japan should decide,” Tamaki said at a news conference. “We don’t need to be buffeted about it by President Bach.”

Tamaki added: “The host nation and its organizing committee understand the current situation the best. So I want (Bach) to respect their decision.”

Despite the continuing pandemic and a resurgence of novel coronavirus infections around Japan, including in Tokyo, both the IOC and the Tokyo organizing committee have said there are no plans to cancel or postpone the Games again. They said they are confident the Tokyo Olympics can be held safely.

Tamaki noted that various events will be canceled or postponed under the state of emergency.

“But the biggest event of all is the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Objectively speaking, it would be difficult to hold the Games if the (state of emergency) remains in effect,” he said.

Seiko Hashimoto, chief of the Tokyo organizing committee, said April 20 that participating athletes “will likely take a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test every day during the Games.”

Tamaki took issue with that comment as well.

“If they admit that testing is an effective measure to contain the virus, why don’t they do that on all people in Japan?” Tamaki said. “It feels like the public will fall even further behind if they only prioritize athletes.”

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