The Japanese Swimming Federation announced on Monday it will be donating 17,000 masks used for “particle protection” to Tokyo. The masks were originally scheduled to be during the Japan Swimming Championships from April 1 – 8. But since the championships had been cancelled, the Federation decided to put them to good use, thus sending them along to Tokyo to be used by medical staff in the city, as they continue the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
The Japanese Olympic Trials have not received a new official date ahead of the 2021 Olympics.
The Olympic Games were scheduled to be in Tokyo this summer, but have since been pushed back a full year to 2021 to avoid any complications with the deadly disease. As of this writing, the Games are 452 days away, and the rest of the world is patiently awaiting for the day when it is safe for them to exit their homes and return to normal life as we know it.
Many swimmers have joined the fight against the coronavirus, whether that is fighting the front line like four-time Olympian Jenny Thompson or donating money like Adam Peaty and Federica Pellegrini. According to The Wall Street Journal, Japan has not instituted a mandatory lockdown like many other countries, but has also recently reported its lowest daily level of new coronavirus cases in more than three weeks.
Japan has had over 13,000 cases with an 83% recovery rate.