The Japanese public is being prepared for the reality of next year’s postponed Olympics, where athletes are likely to face quarantines, spectators will be fewer, and the delay will cost taxpayers billions of dollars.

The Yomiuri Shimbun daily, citing government and organising committee sources, said making Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests mandatory for all spectators — in addition to athletes and staff — and limiting movement in and out of the athletes village were among the options Japan would discuss with the IOC.

The top priority is to avoid the worst scenario of cancelling the Games,” an unnamed government source told the daily.

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A man, wearing a face mask, walks past the countdown clock for the Tokyo Olympic Games on Thursday. — Reuters
A man, wearing a face mask, walks past the countdown clock for the Tokyo Olympic Games on Thursday. — Reuters

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