'Don't travel to Japan': US issues advisory against travel as Tokyo Olympics draws closer

Doubts swirling over the Tokyo Olympics reached a new peak on Monday after the United States warned its citizens against traveling to Japan, amid the COVID-19 surge in the Asian country.

The US Department of State issued a no travel advisory for hosts Japan, which has been heavily criticized for its slow vaccination rate months ahead of the Tokyo Olympics. The advisory raised the travel alert from Level 3 (Reconsider travel) to a more severe Level 4 (Do not travel).

The travel advisory is based on a Level 4 notice issued by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on May 24th.

The US State Department’s travel advisories are designed to warn travelers about the dangers overseas. It is likely that the warnings will have an impact on insurance rates for travelers to Japan. It might consequently decide the future of athletes supposed to compete at the Tokyo Olympics.

“Do not travel to Japan due to COVID-19,” the announcement in the travel advisory read.

However, the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee was still 'confident' that American athletes will be able to compete at the Tokyo Olympics, despite persistent safety concerns.

“We feel confident that the current mitigation practices in place for athletes and staff, coupled with the testing before travel, on arrival in Japan, and during Games time, will allow for safe participation of Team USA athletes this summer," read a statement by the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee.

At a time when Japan is gripped by a third wave of COVID-19 cases, questions remain as to how a global event of this magnitude can be held in the middle of a pandemic. As Olympic officials attempt to quell the public’s concerns, questions still linger about how the Tokyo Olympics will operate safely.

What is more alarming is that only two percent of Japan's overall population has been fully inoculated thus far. However, the government is keen to complete vaccinating people of more than 65 years of age by late July. But ministers have allegedly said no date has yet been announced for other age groups.

Government spokesman Katsunobu Kato assured the U.S. State Department's travel advisory would not affect the staging of the Tokyo Olympics.

“It is our understanding that there is no change to the US position to support Japan’s effort to hold the Olympic and Paralympic Games," Kato was quoted as saying.

Japan's Tokyo Olympics training camps canceled out of safety concerns

Meanwhile, several Japanese camps were canceled after countries, fearful of COVID-19 safety risks, withdrew plans to train amid the COVID-19 resurgence in many cities.

The USA track and field team had the maximum number of athletes who were set to finish off their preparations in Chiba prefecture near Tokyo. Instead, the camp was quickly canceled in early May and the athletes were advised to train at home.