As coronavirus swept the globe a year ago, Japan portrayed the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics as an opportunity as well as a necessity. The delayed games would be the light at the end of the tunnel, a celebration of humanity’s victory over Covid.

Now, with about 100 days to go, that promise looks not merely optimistic but flat wrong. The Olympics are approaching amid a resurgence of the virus in many countries and the opposition of the majority of the host nation. More infectious strains are gaining ground, and Japan’s vaccination programme is barely off the ground. The international picture is even grimmer. Brazil is recording more than 4,000 deaths a day, and India recorded more than 125,000 new cases last Wednesday alone...

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