Toyota Motor to drive out of the Olympics as coronavirus spreads

More athletes test positive

Toyota Motor won’t air television advertisements in Japan during the Olympics and its president won’t attend the opening ceremony as concerns about holding the Games amid the pandemic mount just days before they’re due to get underway.
 

The decision by Toyota, which remains a global sponsor of the event, comes after US tennis star Coco Gauff withdrew because she contracted Covid-19 and as two South African footballers tested positive at the athletes’ village. A female American gymnast also tested positive.
 

Toyota spokesperson Shino Yamada confirmed the decision not to air commercials, which was earlier reported by Kyodo News. Part of the reason President Akio Toyoda won’t attend the opening ceremony is because no spectators will be allowed into events, Yamada said.
 

The Games, which start Friday, will be the first without spectators. Tokyo is grappling with a surge in coronavirus cases, which prompted the government to declare a fourth state of emergency in the capital earlier this month.
 

Toyota will continue to support the Games, including displaying its logo and offering rides to athletes, Yamada said in an email. “We are not withdrawing the plan because of short-term issues or the current situation,” the spokesperson said. “It’s something we’ve considered for a while given Japan’s Covid situation.”