Japan holds Paralympics flame-lighting ceremony as the country battles a spike in Covid-19 cases. Tokyo2020 Games will take place from Aug. 24 to Sept. 5
Instead of a traditional relay on public roads, "torch-kiss" Paralympic flame-lighting events will be held in towns and cities across Japan over the next week, with the flame transferred from torch to torch.
"We had planned to hold the Paralympic torch relay in Tokyo with some 700 torchbearers," said Tokyo Metropolitan Government official Koichi Osakabe.Tokyo Olympics closing event brings a nuanced end to pandemic-defying GamesThe emergency measures are scheduled to last until the end of August. Similar "quasi-emergency" measures are in place in other regions where cases are rising.
"We wanted to have a diverse group of people, young and old, non-Japanese nationals and those with disabilities, to take part in the event," the city official in charge of the ceremony told AFP.Around 4,000 Paralympians and 12,000 officials, staff and media from overseas will be in Japan for the Games.