Reuters.

Toyota, sponsor of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, will not air Games-related TV commercials due to lack of public support for the Olympics, with two-thirds of Japanese doubting it is possible to hold the Games safely during the Covid-19 pandemic, local media reported.

Toyota Motor Corp CEO Akio Toyoda will not attend the opening ceremony, the Yomiuri newspaper reported on Monday.

Toyota did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Some 60 Japanese companies that paid more than $ 3 billion for the deferred 2020 Olympics sponsorship rights now face the dilemma of whether or not to tie their brands to an event that has not until presently failed to gain strong public support.

Two-thirds of Japanese people doubt the country can host a safe and secure Olympics amid a new wave of coronavirus infections, according to an investigation published by the Asahi newspaper just four days before the opening ceremony in Tokyo.

In the poll, 68% of those polled expressed doubts about the ability of Olympic organizers to control coronavirus infections, with 55% saying they were against continuing the Games.

Three-quarters of 1,444 people polled by telephone said they agreed with the decision to ban spectators from the events.

As cases of Covid-19 increase in Tokyo, which is under a fourth state of emergency, the public is increasingly concerned that hosting an event with tens of thousands of athletes, officials and foreign journalists could speed up infection rates in the Japanese capital and introduce more infectious or fatal variants.

The President of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach, said he hopes the Japanese public will rejoice in the Games once the competition begins and Japanese athletes start winning medals. The Tokyo Olympics run from July 23 to August 8.

“We will continue to cooperate and work closely with organizers such as the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Tokyo 2020 and the IOC to ensure a safe and secure environment for the Games,” said government spokesperson, the secretary. Chief of Cabinet Katsunobu Kato at a press conference. regular briefing.

Games officials on Sunday reported the first case of Covid-19 among competitors in the Athletes’ Village in Tokyo, where 11,000 athletes are expected during the Games. As of July 2, Tokyo 2020 organizers have reported 58 positive cases among athletes, officials and journalists.

A Tokyo 2020 spokesperson said the village was a safe place to stay, adding that the infection rate among athletes and other Games-related people visiting Japan was nearly 0.1%.

Six British track and field athletes and two staff members were forced into self-isolation on Sunday after someone on their flight to Japan tested positive for Covid-19.