Japanese soccer and baseball to start allowing fans at games

Japan’s professional baseball and soccer leagues will begin allowing fans this week, heads of both leagues said on Monday.

Soccer and baseball officials said first day with fans will be Friday. maximum number will be 5,000 or 50% of stadium capacity — whichever is smaller.

Officials said y plan to allow stadiums to be filled to 50% capacity beginning on Aug. 1.

“We will keep a close eye on this guideline to see if it changes significantly,” said Mitsuru Murai, head of Japan's soccer league, J-League. “If re are major changes, we'll proceed with original plan.”

Mitsuo Kaku, a professor at Tohoku Medical and Pharmaceutical University, was optimistic in an online news conference with league officials.

“Of course, we have to keep an eye on infection situation, but I think it is necessary to try this," he said. "We are in situation where we need to continue to run social and ecomic activities while managing risks.”

Japanese baseball opened its season on June 19, and soccer resumed on Saturday after a four-month delay. soccer J-League played one round of matches before season was stopped in February.

Hiroshige Mikamo, a professor of infectious disease at Aichi Medical University, put responsibility on fans.

“ teams, staff, and player have worked really hard to protect sporting culture,”he said. “w it's audience's turn to make effort.”

Japan has largely held corovirus pandemic in check with 1,000 deaths reported i na country of 126 million. By comparison, United States has reported 130,000 deaths with a population estimated at 330 million.

However, new cases have increased recently in Tokyo. New cases on Sunday in Tokyo topped 100 for fourth straight day.