North Korea will not be winning any medals in the Tokyo Olympics.
The country’s national Olympic Committee decided to back out of the games during a meeting on March 25. They said the decision was made to protect their athletes from the “world public health crisis caused by COVID-19.”
TOKYO OLYMPICS WON’T REQUIRE CORONAVIRUS VACCINES FOR ATHLETES
The games, which have already been pushed back a year because of the coronavirus, are set to take place this summer, and it’ll look different than previous Olympics.
The International Olympic Committee announced in its playbook in early February that despite the organization’s support for global vaccination efforts, coronavirus vaccines will not be required for athletes participating in the international sporting event. Instead of requiring the vaccine, IOC said athletes will partake in regular temperature checks and screenings for COVID-19 in order to ensure the safety of all attending the event.
Japan has also taken added precautions to prevent the transmission of the disease throughout the country due to the Olympics. Those flying to Tokyo for the games will be required to submit proof of negative COVID-19 tests 72 hours before flying, while those exhibiting symptoms within 14 days of traveling will be prohibited from entry.
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Olympics attendees will also be restricted inside the arena. Participants, who must remain masked during all indoor events except when eating or sleeping, will be required to download the Japanese government’s contact-tracing application, documenting in real time every activity during the 14-day event. Athletes are encouraged to limit social activity and will be barred from using public transit.
The decision to delay the Olympics could cost up to nearly $3 billion.
