“Except they determine in any other case, we simply merely want to arrange for the Video games, the best way to management the state of affairs. I feel it adjustments nearly day by day, so that they should be ready for that. However I do not suppose they’re fascinated by suspending it,” Taro Kono instructed CNBC’s Martin Soong on Wednesday.

The Olympic torch was taken off the general public streets of Osaka on Wednesday because the prefecture declared a state of emergency after coronavirus circumstances reached document highs.

“Sure, (the) state of affairs in Osaka is particularly worrying,” mentioned Kono, who can be minister of regulatory reform. A brand new virus variant just like the one first found within the U.Okay. is “shortly spreading” in Osaka, he added.

“We now have recognized an analogous mutation in Tokyo, so we’re fearful (that) Tokyo might observe Osaka in a few weeks. So we actually should be taking note of the state of affairs,” he mentioned.

The Summer time Olympics are attributable to kick off formally in Tokyo on July 23, slightly greater than 100 days away. They have been delayed final yr because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Nonetheless, the Video games will probably be very a lot scaled again in comparison with earlier years, as worldwide spectators have been barred from getting into the nation attributable to considerations about over Covid-19.

“Properly, sadly, we might not have so many spectators watching the sport on the stadium however the general public are going to be watching on tv anyway,” Kono mentioned.

Japan is about to vaccinate the nation’s senior residents from Monday, transferring into the subsequent stage of its vaccine rollout that has been hampered by delays in vaccine deliveries.

Lower than 1% of the inhabitants has been vaccinated up to now, based on Kono — however he is hopeful that inoculations will transfer into full swing in mid-Might when vaccines from the European Union arrive.

“Sadly, we’ve got not been in a position to develop a vaccine domestically, and we have to depend on import of (the) vaccine coming from EU,” Kono mentioned. “Proper now, we’ve got approved the Pfizer vaccine and it will begin for the senior residents subsequent Monday.”

He mentioned the vaccine developed by the College of Oxford and AstraZeneca will probably be “crucial” as a result of it’ll be manufactured in Japan, which might lower out some negotiations.

His interview occurred hours earlier than the drugs regulators within the EU and the U.Okay. introduced Wednesday that there may very well be a doable hyperlink between the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine and uncommon blood clotting points. Each regulators, nonetheless, identified that the advantages of getting the vaccine nonetheless outweigh the dangers.

“The largest headache for me is to undergo (the) EU transparency mechanism,” Kono mentioned, referring to a measure that permits European Union member states to impose restrictions on vaccine exports.

“If we’ve got (a) home vaccine or domestically produced vaccine … greater than half of my headache (can be) gone,” he mentioned.

Requested if his dealing with of Japan’s coronavirus outbreak might have an effect on his possibilities of being the subsequent prime minister, Kono was dismissive.

“My job is to get the vaccine coming to Japan from Europe, and (to) get as many individuals as doable vaccinated,” he mentioned. “You do not have to consider the premiership. You simply need to do your job, to guard the (lives) of the individuals.”