Tokyo Paralympics

The International Paralympic Committee announced that Samoa, Kiribati, Tonga and Vanuatu will no longer compete at the Games which are due to start on Tuesday 24 August.

Spokesperson for the International Paralympic Committee, Craig Spence, told Inside the Games all four nations were left financially hamstrung by Australia's two-week hotel quarantine rule on international travellers.

Organisers said municipalities will still be able to have schoolchildren attend events as long as proper COVID-19 safety measures are implemented, while taking into account the wishes of caregivers.

Tokyo 2020 President Seiko Hashimoto apologised for the move following talks between government officials, Tokyo organisers and Paralympic representatives, calling on people to watch the Games at home and avoid attending road events.

The Japanese government has proposed expanding and extending the country's state of emergency, with the Paralympics beginning on 24 August.

"We very much regret that this situation has impacted the Paralympic Games," organisers said in a statement.

As well as stadiums, fans were also requested not to attend road events.

Organisers confirmed spectators would not be allowed at events in Tokyo, Saitama, Chiba and Shizuoka because of infection rates in those regions.