New Zealand skips Paralympic Games opening ceremony
The Tokyo Paralympics will be launched without New Zealand. The Oceania nation’s delegation surrendered on Monday evening to participate in the opening ceremony organized this Tuesday due to concerns about Covid-19.
A delegation of 32 Paralympians spoke on their Facebook page “Rules and guidelines on Covid-19, aimed at ensuring safety” of its members ” As much as possible “. By participating in the “zero Covid” strategy, New Zealand has restored national containment after not identifying any cases for six months.
Organizers of the Tokyo Paralympic Games, which runs through September 5, have reported 161 cases of COVID-19 linked to the event so far, mostly among employees based in Japan, but also including six athletes.
International Paralympic Committee spokeswoman Craig Spence told reporters on Tuesday that New Zealand was the only country among 162 Paralympic delegates that had skipped the opening ceremony.
Japan has been experiencing a fifth wave of Covid-19 since June, which has worsened in recent weeks, with a new record of infections nationwide on Friday.
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