While Shigeru Omi may invite comparisons to leading U.S. doctor Anthony Fauci, Japan¡¯s top COVID-19 adviser had shown little of his American counterpart¡¯s flair for challenging politicians. That is, until he started suggesting banning spectators from the Tokyo Olympics.
Omi, the government¡¯s top adviser on COVID-19, is a mild-mannered 72-year-old public health expert often seen by Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga¡¯s side. But his concern over plans reported in the media to allow domestic spectators seems to have prompted him to question the government¡¯s push to have fans attend Olympic events.
Omi appeared to open a gap with Suga, who has pressed ahead with holding the Olympics as planned, when he told a parliamentary committee on June 2 that ¡°it¡¯s not normal¡± to be staging the global sports spectacle in the middle of a pandemic. The organizers needed to make a stronger case for holding the event in order to gain people¡¯s necessary cooperation, he said.
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