IOC Looking Into Ticket Refunds, Holding Tokyo Olympics Without Overseas Spectators

Yukihito Taguchi/USA Today Sports

With the Tokyo Olympics only four months away, the International Olympic Committee is looking into the possibility of holding the Summer Games without overseas spectators.

On Thursday, IOC Coordination Commission chairman John Coates said Tokyo and the commission are looking into ticket refunds and "the implications for accommodations."

The announcement follows a report from Japan's Kyodo news agency on Wednesday, which said the Japanese government has decided to ban overseas spectators from this summer's Olympics in an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The report cited unnamed government officials and explained that the decision was reached due to concerns of the Japanese public over COVID-19 and the detection of several variants of the virus in multiple countries. According to Kyodo, which often receives news directly from government officials before it is officially announced, the Japanese government, its own Olympics organizing committee, the IOC and two other groups are expected to meet next week to make a formal decision on overseas fans attending the Summer Games.

Japan has not seen the massive outbreaks that have buffeted the United States and many European countries. The nation has reported fewer than 450,000 confirmed cases and just over 8,400 deaths among its population of 126.3 million.

In mid-February, Japan launched its coronavirus vaccination campaign, lagging months behind other major countries. Experts said the late rollout will make it impossible to reach so-called herd immunity in the country before the Olympics begin in July.

On Thursday the IOC announced it has teamed up with China, which is hosting the 2022 Winter Games, to offer vaccines to athletes and teams preparing for the upcoming games in both Tokyo and Beijing. IOC president Thomas Bach said the commission would "pay for extra doses" for Olympic and Paralympic participants. Heading off concerns that athletes might jump the line to get vaccinated, Bach added that extra doses for the general public will be given to countries taking part in the program.

The Tokyo Olympics are set to open on July 23, and the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing are scheduled for February.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.