"It is only 65 days until the opening ceremony and now we are very focused on the final phase. Athletes from all over the world are grateful to Japan for their diligent preparations and look forward to a safe and secure Olympic and Paralympic Games where they can finally shine,” said IOC President Thomas Bach, noting that as many as 75 percent of the Olympic Village residents have already been vaccinated. That’s a good reason and a sign that the number will be significantly higher than 80 percent at the Games-time.

Together with Japanese partners and friends, Tokyo 2020 and the IOC are now entering the final operational phase of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The IOC fully appreciates the partnership built over many years with Japanese partners and friends from the Government of Japan, the Government of the City of Tokyo (TMG) and the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee. COVID-19 is twofold: to provide a safe and secure environment for athletes and participants in the Games and, equally important, for the safety and security of the people of Japan. As the world faces so many common challenges, the mission of these Games will be to point out the way we can overcome them and pass that on to the next generation.

KOIKE Yuriko, Governor of Tokyo, explained: “The most important element in delivering the Games, that will be safe and secure for everyone, are the COVID-19 countermeasures. We must continue to work out concrete plans in detail. The successful Tokyo 2020 Games will be a light of hope in our struggle to overcome the coronavirus. To that end, we need to solve problems and move forward at full speed with our preparations for the Games. As the host city, the Tokyo city government will continue to work closely with the IOC, Tokyo 2020 and the Japanese government in these preparations."

This last meeting of the Coordinating Commission is a moment to identify the work already done - especially on health and safety - and the great work we have all contributed through the Handbooks, which give each group of participants an overview of what is expected of them when they come to Tokyo this summer. With the second version of the Playbook, just launched, and version three coming in June, no one can doubt the fundamental countermeasures of COVID-19 at the Games. The teams in Tokyo are already training to implement all these policies and procedures in order to welcome you and the athletes of the 206 National Olympic Committees in Japan in the best possible way.

The countermeasures described in Playbooks are based on the science and knowledge gathered during the development of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to applying the most effective tools used throughout society, such as tests, wearing masks, personal hygiene and physical distancing, they also rely on the experience of hundreds of sporting events that have safely taken place around the world, with minimal risk to participants, and also  importantly, the local population.

Executive Director of the World Health Organization (WHO) Health Program, Ph.D. Michael Ryan, recently welcomed the strict COVID-19 countermeasures. “A huge amount of work has been done on the Playbooks for the teams and delegations that are coming; a lot of preparation among the teams regarding testing and quarantine and arrival. As well as measures that are being taken in the Olympic Villages, in the training facilities and around the places themselves," he said.

He added: "Issues related to the Olympic Games are multidimensional. [...] It’s not whether we’re going to have [the Olympics] or not; it is the way in which these individual risks are managed within a given framework. "

Recognizing that the Games are a complex event that requires a large amount of logistics and risk management, dr. Ryan said the WHO has “confidence that the International Olympic Committee and the host city of Tokyo and the Japanese Government will make the right decisions on how best to manage risks, and are currently working extremely hard to ensure that those risks are well managed. "

The WHO is part of the Countermeasures Working Group of all partners working on the Games, which also includes the IOC, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee, TMG, the Government of Japan and independent experts and organizations from around the world.

There are a number of items on the agenda of the Coordination Commission that outline the final steps to be taken. These have been difficult times for all of us since the beginning of the pandemic, and this summer the eyes of the world will be on us and Japan. As an Olympic movement, we have an obligation to do everything in our power to make these Games safe and secure, so that these Olympic and Paralympic Games can truly be a light at the end of the tunnel.

In all of this, there are two groups we should never forget. The Japanese people, who have demonstrated their perseverance throughout their history. Only because of this ability of the Japanese people to overcome adversity, these Olympic Games are possible in these very difficult circumstances. And secondly, the athletes of the world, who have been dreaming and preparing for this moment all their lives. That is why these Games must be held and that is why these Games will resonate around the world. These Games will be a global stage for athletes who will give their best performance and send a message of hope and solidarity from Japan to the world.