International spectators will be refused entry into Japan for this summer’s Olympic and Paralympic Games.

According to a statement by Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee, tickets already bought by foreigners for the postponed Games, scheduled to begin on July 23, will be refunded.

The decision was taken after a virtual meeting between the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), the Tokyo Metropolitan Government (TMG), the Organizing Committee Tokyo 2020, and the Government of Japan.

“Currently, the COVID-19 situation in Japan and many other countries around the world is still very challenging and a number of variant strains have emerged, whilst international travel remains severely restricted globally,” the statement read.

“Based on the present situation of the pandemic, it is highly unlikely that entry into Japan will be guaranteed this summer for people from overseas.

Organizers were forced to postpone the Olympics for the first time in the event’s history in March 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Games are scheduled to take place from July 23 to August 8 and the Paralympics from August 24 to September 5.

Japan’s health system recently has been by the worst wave of infections since the pandemic began.

The country, however, stated inoculating its population of 126 million people with Pfizer-BioNTech shots at the end of February.