A general view of the National Stadium is seen in Tokyo, on June 29, 2021. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)

       TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan is considering delaying the announcement of fresh lottery results for Tokyo Olympic tickets, a government official with knowledge of the matter said Thursday, as a rebound in COVID-19 cases in the capital could force organizers to further reduce the number of spectators.

       The organizing committee has said it will hold a fresh ticket lottery and release the results of it next Tuesday after deciding last month to limit the number of local fans to a maximum of 10,000 people per venue, as part of measures to enhance the safety of the Olympics, due to begin on July 23.

       Tokyo has been experiencing a surge in infections since a coronavirus state of emergency was lifted last month, fueling uncertainty over whether it is possible to stage the Olympics with that many fans.

       Font Size S M L Print Timeline 0