The prefecture of Fukushima, located in northern Japan, decided on Saturday to ban the presence of spectators at the baseball and softball matches it will host during the Tokyo Olympics (July 23 - August 8).
Masao Uchibori, the governor of Fukushima, told a news conference that the increase in Covid-19 infections and the pressure on hospital beds in his area and in the greater Tokyo area has put pressure on banning supporters from attending matches.
Competitions that take place in three neighboring ministries (Chiba, Saitama and Kanagawa) will also be closed to the public. Currently, events planned in other departments, including Miyagi or Shizuoka, are still likely to accept spectators, but on a limited basis.