With preparations for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics underway, one of the proposals Japanese officials are considering is asking fans not to cheer, in order to limit the spread of the coronavirus.
"There's a possibility that we might ask the Olympic spectators to refrain from shouting or talking in a loud voice," Tokyo 2020's chief executive, Toshiro Muto, said, as quoted by The Guardian. "This can reduce the risk of airborne droplets."
At a test gymnastics event in Tokyo earlier this week, spectators wearing masks were asked not to shout or cheer, and indeed they largely refrained from doing so, clapping politely instead.
Muto acknowledged, however, that the "practicality and feasibility" of asking non-Japanese spectators to comply with the recommendation would have to be carefully considered.