Spectators have been barred from the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympic torch relay to be held later this month due to persistent concerns about the coronavirus pandemic.

On March 25, the Tokyo Olympic organising committee will kick off the torch relay of the postponed Games at the J-Village football training centre near the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, the site of Japan’s worst nuclear accident 10 years ago.

However, the opening ceremony and the first section of the 121-day relay “will not be open to the public”, organisers said.

The ceremony will be broadcast live via a Tokyo 2020 official channel, while the relay will also be streamed live by public broadcaster NHK.

We have 1️⃣0️⃣ Days to Go until the beginning of the #OlympicTorchRelay!

Join Paul of the #Tokyo2020 team to learn about uniquely designed Tokyo 2020 Olympic Torch Relay Convoy. 🚗🚙🚐#HopeLightsOurWay pic.twitter.com/ssMBARXhWl

— #Tokyo2020 (@Tokyo2020) March 15, 2021

The Olympic flame will be carried in turns by about 10,000 torchbearers across the nation’s 47 prefectures.

The relay ends at the July 23 opening ceremony of the Tokyo Games which were delayed 12 months due to the global pandemic.

Organisers say they are “committed to ensuring the safety and security” of the torch relay by taking countermeasures to prevent the spread of any infections among spectators, locals, participants and staff members.