Would you attend the Olympics as a spectator?

[FoxVillage]

Basically, I have tickets to attend the Olympics. Spectators are allowed in some areas outside of Tokyo, including my area. I have to decide in the next few days whether to use them or apply for a refund.

On the plus side:

The venue will be at less than 20% capacity.
It is an outside venue and everyone will wear masks.
We will travel straight to and from the venue
We will be on summer holidays so can isolate at home after the event.
It's a once in a lifetime opportunity to go

On the negative side:

We have to take a shuttle bus to and from the venue and I guess the bus will be packed.
Cases are really on the rise recently.
None of us are vaccinated and I suspect most spectators won't be vaccinated yet.

I keep flip-flopping about what to do. Part of me thinks it's utter madness to go, part of me is really excited to go!

Yes I would definitely go although of course I understand your worries. Good luck with your decision 💐

Yes, I would go. I have a relative competing so would fly out if it was possible. But, even if I didn't, I'd go in the circumstances you describe.

No way would I go unless a very close relative / friend was competing

I would go, but I've never been scared of Covid and I'm also double vaccinated now.

I would go like a shot …. but I’m vaccinated.

If I weren’t then I’d take into account my vulnerability to the disease and that of members of my household. If I were, say, a thirtyish woman in good health and wouldn’t be seeing my parents/PILs for a couple of weeks then I’d go for it.

Without hesitation.

Such a difficult decision. I’d be more worried about the shuttle bus than the actual venue if capacity is

Yes I would. But as with PP, I am doubly vaccinated, unconcern about Covid generally, and will happily go mask free as soon as allowed (not in England)

Thanks! it's actually comforting that opinions are as divided as I feel!

We are all young-ish and healthy. No health concerns.

Everyone I know in Japan is really strongly anti-Olympics and a lot of people have been protesting against spectators being allowed, but the main concerns are people travelling here from other areas, which isn't an issue for us as we are local, and people drinking and eating at bars and restaurants outside the venue, which we won't do, but I just worry people will think we're being reckless twats! There were around 30 new cases in my district recorded yesterday out of a population of more than 2 million, which isn't a lot, but everyone is so worried. It's on the news every day.

Thanks for the thoughts. I shall probably keep flip-flopping some more.

Sorry OP. I'm just testing... my posts don't seem to be showing.

Oh, archery or clay pigeon shooting.

I would be happier going if I was double vaccinated, are you planning on getting the vaccine any time soon?

Assuming I was low-ish risk then yes, absolutely.

In your situation yes!

I wouldn’t cross the road to go to the Olympics but what you describe sounds safe enough.
You’re obviously fans as you’ve bought the tickets, so I’d go and enjoy yourselves. Outside is considerably less risky

I wouldn't but not for any of the reasons you mentioned.

I simply couldn't be bothered unless someone I knew competed. tv is perfect for me and I'm 30sec away from tea or loo🤣

I think being able to isolate after makes a big difference. It’s a harder choice if you’d be potentially spreading Covid to others or if you’d be letting down colleagues if you needed to take time off.

I would

I definitely would.

No. But purely because the tv coverage is brilliant and I’m likely to want to be watching several things at the same time. Plus comforts of home.😀

@Mindymomo

I would be happier going if I was double vaccinated, are you planning on getting the vaccine any time soon?

I wish I could. I've been trying to get an appointment but no luck yet. They are fully booked up until mid-August at the moment

If there are no health concerns I would probably go. I would also trust a country like Japan to follow the rules and guidelines etc. It depends on how worried you are about long Covid, that is likely to be your main consideration.

It is going to be a very strange Olympics though. I went to the Paralympics in 2012 and it was absolutely amazing. It was an incredible experience.

It’s the bus that would make me think twice about it. Have you got an ffp2 or ffp3 mask? You will reduce the risk of catching covid on the bus.

No.

I have friends and business contacts in Tokyo who like myself are long term and regular amateur sports participants and huge fans of numerous sports. Those in Tokyo will avoid it like the plague as most locals overwhelmingly wanted to cancel these 2020 Summer Olympic Games all together rather than facilitating an Olympic Covid variant. Surprisingly the local Covid vaccination program has been slow as many of the adult population are only recently single vaccinated despite many I know being international corporate professionals who if necessary are happy to pay for health protection.

I have attended various previous summer and winter games and watched a number of sports live and up close. This Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympic Games should be canceled and not postponed without spectators. Numerous international Olympic camps have already imported Covid variants despite all the vigorous checks and bubble restrictions. It will be an impossible Covid safe challenge and surreal for competitors to be at the competition of their sporting lives without any in person venue live support. Many high profile sportsmen and sportswomen have already decided not to attend. This includes those at the top of their game with an otherwise realistic chance of medaling. Tokyo 2020 in 2021 will be a surprise in many ways and presumably only staged to safe face for the Japanese government and organisers and for the sportsmen and sportswomen to not let their dreams and all those years of dedication be in vain. It will be interesting to watch this unfold from a far.

I wouldn't if unvaccinated.

www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/jul/18/south-africa-footballers-test-positive-for-covid-19-in-tokyo-olympic-village

South Africa footballers test positive for Covid-19 in Tokyo Olympic Village

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