Tokyo's COVID news is not good
Washington Times July 21, 2021
A version of this post ended up as a letter to the editor in the conservative Washington Times. It’s always a good day when one of my pieces runs east of the Mississippi.
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The COVID news coming out of Tokyo is worrisome. No, it is alarming.
The current number of Olympic athletes (and staff) testing postive for the virus is 61. How many more need to be identified before the Summer Games are postponed?
I realize making the decision to send athletes home at this late date would be incredibly difficult; but, let me ask: Why take the risk? Given everything we know about how quickly the variant is spreading now, isn't it likely hundreds, if not thousands, of athletes and staff will return home sick when the Games are over?
Last year, the Olympics were postponed because of the uncertainty surrounding the virus. This year, we know a hundred times more than we did last summer. It's clear to me jock straps or sports bras can't protect anyone from COVID.
In my opinion, it's better to be safe than sorry. Pull the plug on the Tokyo Games now.
-DF
I agree that the Games be cancelled/postponed until further notice. It's a tragedy, for sure, knowing that some of these athletes have trained most of their (albeit short, so far) lives for this opportunity. But it would be a significantly greater tragedy if they were to contract Covid, with its long-term health problems or worse, which might cause a permanent inability to compete. Perhaps all the Olympic Committee can partially reimburse Japan for its investment, to be repaid when the Games resume.