Japan-based company developing app to curb the spread of COVID-19 at Tokyo Olympics

A top Japanese telecommunication company is developing an app for a cost of $67 million to curb the spread of the COVID-19 virus during the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. But it may not be useful to the farthest extent because the organizers have already announced that foreign spectators won’t be allowed for the Games.

The Olympic Games involve a huge inflow of foreign visitors in the host country, including fans, journalists, and other support staff. After much speculation, last Saturday the organizing committee declared their reservations regarding the allowance of overseas crowds inside the perimeter.

Now, NTT Communications, a group company of Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp, along with a domestic sponsor of the Tokyo Games, are in charge of developing the tracking-based application that is set to launch in June in multiple languages.

It is learned that domestic sponsors have contributed a mammoth sum of $3.5 billion to the local organizing committee that is three times larger than the previous editions of the Olympics. Dentsu Inc – the official marketing partner of the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, has driven the contributions.

"Is this the time to be designing an app for fans?" - oppostion lawmaker Kanako Otsuji

Criticisms have also flown in from all corners, with opposition lawmaker Kanako Otsuji stating that the application is a waste of money, as there won’t be enough spectators in the upcoming edition of the mega-event.

Moreover, the app should be used by the people diligently and honestly to record their health conditions, or else it won’t serve the purpose.

"When there will likely be no spectators, is this the time to be designing an app for fans? The Japanese government has failed over and over in digital innovation, but it's going to have success with this new app?" said Kanako Otsuji, on her YouTube channel last month.