The members of the Nippon Professional Baseball and J. League joint COVD-19 task force feel their knowledge about the virus and the data they¡¯ve collected has grown exponentially as they enter the body¡¯s second year.

This wealth of information has led both leagues to ask the national government to loosen the current restrictions on attendance at large-scale events from a hard cap of 5,000 to a sliding percentage based on the specifications of each stadium. The leagues feel they can operate safely with proper countermeasures in place.

NPB Commissioner Atsushi Saito, speaking after Monday¡¯s task force meeting, said the league¡¯s 12 clubs have sustained significant financial losses over the past year due to the limits on attendance.