(CBS Local)- The 2020 Tokyo Olympics officially got underway Friday after a year delay with the Opening Ceremony and Parade of Nations being held in an empty Tokyo National Stadium. The stadium was empty as part of the COVID-19 protocols in place not allowing spectators to attend any of the Olympic events. Part of the protocols also included athletes wearing masks during the parade and ceremony, but two countries stood out for their refusal to do so.
Several Twitter users noted that the delegations from the countries of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan entered the stadium mostly maskless.
Another team with no masks. Also from the Stans! #Tajikistan #Tokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/i9TRVfWv54
— Glen Blogger (@EscapeManila) July 23, 2021
Not just Tajikistan, but also Kyrgyzstan walking in without masks pic.twitter.com/peUkGYPVgi
— Joanna Gasiorowska (@JoGasiorowska) July 23, 2021
?????
All members of Kyrgyzstan did not wear masks. I thought that they were mandatory?? #Tokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/2tSSVgIzF1
— Grace Lee (@graceleenews) July 23, 2021
According to Reuters, the Tokyo Olympic organizers didn’t respond to a request for comment on the incident. The decision not to wear masks came as The New York Times reports that 75 people with Olympic credentials, including six athletes, have tested positive for COVID-19 as of Friday.
Tokyo saw 1,979 new cases in the general population on Thursday and the seven-day rolling average there is 1,373. Meanwhile, the vaccination rate in the country is around 23.3% fully vaccinated and 35.3% with at least one dose of the vaccine.
Among the athletes, The Times reported that the International Olympic Committee has said that it expected 85 percent of athletes and coaches to be fully vaccinated. But, the official total is unclear.