First lady Jill Biden will travel to Tokyo for the 2020 Summer Olympics despite the Japanese government declaring a state of emergency in an effort to prevent the postponed competition from becoming a COVID-19 superspreader event.
Biden will attend the opening ceremony on July 23 as the head of the U.S. delegation, the East Wing announced Tuesday morning.
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Jill Biden led the U.S. delegation to the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Winter Games when her husband, President Joe Biden, was vice president.
This year’s iteration of the quadrennial competition promises to be like no other after it was delayed by 12 months because of the coronavirus pandemic. Organizers announced last week that local sports fans would not be permitted in most venues under the emergency order in an attempt to limit crowds and avoid unnecessary movement. Several high-profile athletes, including top tennis players Serena Williams and Rafael Nadal, have also opted out of participating.
Tokyo recorded 502 new COVID-19 cases last weekend. In total, the country has had more than 823,000 cases and almost 15,000 deaths. Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga had earlier been criticized for his handling of the crisis, though his vaccination rate has improved with supply. But public opinion polls suggest that internal concern remains over whether the Olympics should proceed at all.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters last week the East Wing was “assessing the feasibility” of Jill Biden’s attendance, though an advance team was already scheduled.
“We’re well aware of the careful preparations, including the public health measures necessary to protect athletes, staff, and spectators that the government and international committee has undertaken, which is why, as we’ve said, we support the games moving forward,” she said.
Anthony Fauci, Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser, added that the risks posed to the first lady were minimal due to the “stringent” precautions being taken.
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“The final choice of what she’d do, obviously, is up to her,” he said last week.
