Abstinence is shaping up to be the name of the game at this year's summer Olympics, as organisers announced on Wednesday the sale of alcohol would be banned at all venues.
This comes following a public outcry earlier this week after media reports said organisers were mulling allowing alcohol consumption at the Games.
"Following experts' advice, the organising committee decided against selling and drinking alcoholic drinks at the venues so as to prevent the spread of infections," Tokyo Olympics President Seiko Hashimoto said at a news conference, adding that Games sponsor Asahi Breweries was on board with the decision.
Though there are only 30 days to go before the Games begin, uncertainty about how the two-week event will go off remains.
While organisers maintain the scaled-down games will be safe, others have cast doubt after Japan saw a spike in Covid-19 cases in May. Tokyo only exited its state of emergency last Sunday.
To keep the games safe, organisers said on Monday that it was capping domestic spectators at 10,000, and foreign visitors would be banned. Japanese health experts, however, have said banning spectators all together is the "least risky" option.
Olympics organisers appear to be quashing vice of all kinds. In early June, the International Olympic Committee suggested that the 160,000 free condoms organisers procured for athletes staying in the Olympic Village should be used "at home" and not during their stay in Japan.
