Olympic officials decide to allow 10,000, half capacity, into Tokyo games, all must be from Japan

Olympic officials said Monday the summer games next month in Tokyo can have as many as 10,000 fans and they all must be from Japan, bringing clarity to whether the international competition will have spectators amid the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The decision was announced after so-called Five Party talks online with local organizers, the International Olympic Committee, the International Paralympic Committee, the Japanese government and the government of metropolitan Tokyo, according to the Associated Press.

The 10,000 fans is 50% of capacity and applies to all of the Olympic venues. The games are the 2020 Summer Olympics, because they were postponed last year because of the pandemic. 

The Tokyo Games are set to open on July 23.

Local organizing committee president Seiko Hashimoto said the decision Monday about capacity could change depending on evolving circumstances. 

"If there is an announcement of a state of emergency during the games, all the options like no-spectator games will be examined," he told the wire service.

Fans from abroad were banned several months ago. Officials say local fans will be under strict rules. They will not be allowed to cheer, must wear masks, and are being told to go straight home afterward, the Associated Press also reports.