Virus Countermeasures Add ¥90 billion to Tokyo Games’ bill

The Yomiuri Shimbun

12:43 JST, November 30, 2020

Costs associated with coronavirus countermeasures at the postponed Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics have been estimated at more than 90 billion yen by the government and the Games’ organizing committee, according to committee sources.

The organizing committee had already calculated that additional costs incurred by postponing the events to next summer to be about 200 billion yen, bringing the total of extra costs to host the Games to about 300 billion yen.

According to the sources, testing facilities will be set up in the athletes’ village where the more than 10,000 athletes, both Japanese and from abroad, will be tested for infection several times. Anyone showing symptoms of infection such as high fever or coughing will be treated at a newly established fever outpatient clinic.

In addition to the costs for these facilities, expenditures for securing medical personnel, disinfecting competition venues and enacting measures to protect staff and volunteers brings the estimated total above 90 billion yen. Not included are expenses for testing at airports upon arrival by foreign athletes nor those associated with host towns welcoming them.

Since September, the government, together with the organizing committee and Tokyo metropolitan government, has been studying coronavirus countermeasures for the Games, and will issue an interim report in early December. After that, the three parties will discuss how to split the burden, and the organizing committee will announce the cost of the Tokyo Games by the end of the year.

At the end of last year, the cost of hosting was estimated at 1.35 trillion yen, with the organizing committee bearing 603 billion yen, the Tokyo metropolitan government 597 billion yen and the national government 150 billion yen.

Following the decision in March to postpone the events, the organizing committee cut about 30 billion yen in costs by reducing non-athlete participants and venue decorations. Still, an additional 200 billion yen is estimated to be needed, including re-signing contracts with venues and hotels.