The Tokyo Olympics, postponed last year, kicked off with a modest opening ceremony as the city continues to battle a new wave of COVID-19.
The organizers did not provide details about the event, but it was announced that the strict rules related to the coronavirus mean that there will be only 950 people in the 68,000-seat Olympic Stadium, and only 15 leaders will participate, including Armenian President Armen Sarkissian.
Two weeks ago, when a new state of emergency was declared in Tokyo, organizers decided to ban spectators from attending the event. The Japanese capital registered 1,797 new cases of coronavirus yesterday, the most since January 15. About 90 people accredited to the Olympics, including some athletes, tested positive.