Olympics 2021: Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan Delegations Go Largely Maskless For Opening Ceremony

(CBS Local)- The 2020 Tokyo Olympics officially got underway Friday aft a twelvemonth hold with the Opening Ceremony and Parade of Nations being held successful an bare Tokyo National Stadium. The stadium was bare arsenic portion of the COVID-19 protocols successful spot not allowing spectators to be immoderate of the Olympic events. Part of the protocols besides included athletes wearing masks during the parade and ceremony, but 2 countries stood retired for their refusal to bash so.

Several Twitter users noted that the delegations from the countries of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan entered the stadium mostly maskless.

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Another squad with nary masks. Also from the Stans! #Tajikistan #Tokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/i9TRVfWv54

— Glen Blogger (@EscapeManila) July 23, 2021

Not conscionable Tajikistan, but besides Kyrgyzstan walking successful without masks pic.twitter.com/peUkGYPVgi

— Joanna Gasiorowska (@JoGasiorowska) July 23, 2021

?????
All members of Kyrgyzstan did not deterioration masks. I thought that they were mandatory?? #Tokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/2tSSVgIzF1

— Grace Lee (@graceleenews) July 23, 2021

According to Reuters, the Tokyo Olympic organizers didn’t respond to a petition for remark connected the incident. The determination not to deterioration masks came arsenic The New York Times reports that 75 radical with Olympic credentials, including six athletes, person tested affirmative for COVID-19 arsenic of Friday.

Tokyo saw 1,979 caller cases successful the wide colonisation connected Thursday and the seven-day rolling mean determination is 1,373. Meanwhile, the vaccination complaint successful the state is astir 23.3% afloat vaccinated and 35.3% with astatine slightest 1 dose of the vaccine.

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Among the athletes, The Times reported that the International Olympic Committee has said that it expected 85 percent of athletes and coaches to beryllium afloat vaccinated. But, the authoritative full is unclear.