Japan to declare state of emergency in Tokyo 2 weeks before Olympics
08 July 2021
Japan's government is set to declare a state of emergency for Tokyo due to a COVID-19 spike, a minister who heads the government's coronavirus response said Thursday, per Reuters.
Why it matters: It'll be in effect throughout the Olympics, confirmed Yasutoshi Nishimura, the economy minister, after a government meeting. The government will decide after talks with International Olympic Committee officials later Thursday whether to ban all spectators, which medical experts say could help slow the virus' spread, AP notes.
Of note: The declaration will run from July 12 to Aug 22 and is expected to be formally announced by Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga later in the day.
- The Games are due to begin with the opening ceremony on July 23.
Flashback: International Olympic Committee Vice President John Coates said in May that the Tokyo Olympics will proceed even if the city or other parts of Japan are under a COVID-19 state of emergency.
By the numbers: Tokyo reported 920 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, which was the highest total since 1,010 were reported on May 13, according to ESPN.
- At least two Olympians, a coach and two Olympic staff members have tested positive for the coronavirus.
The big picture: Olympic organizers announced in June that venues can be filled up to 50% capacity with local fans with a maximum of 10,000 spectators at each event.
Go deeper ...Axios Today podcast: Controversy ahead of the Olympics
Transcripts show George Floyd told police "I can't breathe" over 20 times
Section2Newly released transcripts of bodycam footage from the Minneapolis Police Department show that George Floyd told officers he could not breathe more than 20 times in the moments leading up to his death.
Why it matters: Floyd's killing sparked a national wave of Black Lives Matter protests and an ongoing reckoning over systemic racism in the United States. The transcripts "offer one the most thorough and dramatic accounts" before Floyd's death, The New York Times writes.
The state of play: The transcripts were released as former officer Thomas Lane seeks to have the charges that he aided in Floyd's death thrown out in court, per the Times. He is one of four officers who have been charged.
- The filings also include a 60-page transcript of an interview with Lane. He said he "felt maybe that something was going on" when asked if he believed that Floyd was having a medical emergency at the time.
What the transcripts say:
- Floyd told the officers he was claustrophobic as they tried to get him into the squad car.
- The transcripts also show Floyd saying, "Momma, I love you. Tell my kids I love them. I'm dead."
- Former officer Derek Chauvin, who had his knee on Floyd's neck for over eight minutes, told Floyd, "Then stop talking, stop yelling, it takes a heck of a lot of oxygen to talk."
Read the transcripts via DocumentCloud.