Japan is experiencing one of the worst COVID-19 outbreaks in the world.
The 2021 Olympic Games are just around the corner, set to take place this July. The best in sports will compete to take home the highest honor that an athlete can earn: Olympic Gold.
There’s one problem, though. It’s COVID-19. Currently, Japan has one of the worst COVID-19 outbreaks in the world. At first, I was looking forward to the Olympics. Now, I don’t think they should go on. Here’s are three reasons why.
COVID-19: If tens of thousands of athletes worldwide gather for these games, it would be disastrous, not just for Japan but for everyone. According to Naoto Ueyama, a Japanese doctor, if these games go on, an Olympic variant that’s worse than any other known COVID variant will spread. Some people say that the Olympic Committee takes COVID-19 protocols very seriously with COVID-19 tests every day, social distancing, and bans on international spectators. Pfizer/BioTech is also stepping up by donating COVID-19 vaccinations. But will it be enough? I think not.
VOLUNTEER SHORTAGE: The second reason these games shouldn’t go on is a recent volunteer shortage. According to Insider.com, 10,000 of the 80,000 volunteers set to help with the games quit because of the fear of getting COVID-19. This could lead to more volunteers quitting and the Games falling apart. Before COVID-19, Japan exceeded the number of volunteers at 80,000. Unfortunately, that’s not the case today.
SAVING LIVES IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN MAKING/SAVING MONEY: According to the Today Show, the Olympic games cost $25 billion. So canceling the games would be a huge financial decision. But is making/saving money more important than protecting human lives? I think not.
According to a national survey, 83 percent of people agree. A petition on Change.org to cancel these games has 415,000 signatures. So let’s hold off on the Olympics until COVID-19 is under control. PLEASE!
