The Japanese government has decided to deny international spectators access to the upcoming Tokyo Olympics in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Last year, the Olympics Committee had already decided to postpone the games until the summer of 2021 due to the pandemic. However it was the Japanese government’s decision to ban foreign spectators from entering the country and attending.

According to Kyodo News, the Japanese Government and International Olympics Committee are in discussions and will release a formal statement in the near future. The restrictions come after at least 9 million tickets were sold in advance for the event before the peak of the pandemic.

Japan has seen an increase in restrictions after infections reached a new high earlier this year in January. Cases have persisted in the nation despite government monitoring of the situation which included a State of Emergency early on in the pandemic which ended in only 851 deaths due to the virus.

It’s unknown at the time if those who bought tickets to the Tokyo Olympics will be refunded or otherwise reimbursed if foreign spectators are formally barred from attending.

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