Tokyo (Kyodo) -- The athletes' village for the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics was unveiled to the media on Sunday around a month before the games kick off, featuring enhanced measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Around 18,000 athletes and officials are set to live together in 21 residential buildings inside the 44-hectare village in the Harumi waterfront district of Tokyo.
Organizers have touted the village, located some 6 kilometers from the main stadium, for its accessibility and ease of use for para-athletes.
Residents will be asked to undergo coronavirus testing daily, wear a face mask at all times except when eating and drinking and practice physical distancing. The number of seats in the main dining hall has been reduced, while transparent acrylic panels will be installed on tables.
The IOC has said 75 percent of prospective Olympic and Paralympic village residents, including about 15,000 athletes, have either already been vaccinated or are scheduled to be vaccinated, with the figure set to rise to over 80 percent when the games start.
It has provided Japan with a total of 40,000 doses of Pfizer Inc.'s vaccine, saying that inoculating those working or competing at the games will help ensure that the games can be held safely and securely amid the pandemic.
Japan's Olympic athletes started receiving vaccine shots on June 1, while staff and volunteers who will be working at the athletes' village and competition venues as well as accredited media and health workers are also eligible for the shots.
One of the village's main facilities, Village Plaza, will function as a social hub for athletes, with a cafe, florist, bank, photo studio, store selling official Olympic merchandise, post office and dry cleaner during the athletes' stay.
The complex, made of timber from 63 municipalities across Japan, will also host the athletes' welcome ceremonies when they arrive ahead of their respective games.
The residential units of between 14 and 18 stories will have 18,000 beds for athletes and staff during the Olympics, and 8,000 during the Paralympics. The beds are contained in a total of 3,800 condominiums, which can hold up to eight people, with up to two beds per room.
The bed frames are made of sturdy recycled cardboard, reflecting organizers' efforts to host an environmentally friendly and sustainable games.
The village's residential buildings are planned to be renovated and converted into apartments after the games.
