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A security guard takes a break in front of the Tokyo metropolitan building during a Paralympic torch relay event in Tokyo, Aug 20, 2021. (Photo: AP/Hiro Komae) - 

Tokyo Paralympics organisers said on Sunday (Aug 23) they were tightening virus rules, including upping testing and further limiting movement, as Japan battles a record wave of infections days before the opening ceremony.  

The Games open on Tuesday after a year-long pandemic delay and following the Olympics, which ended on Aug 8 and was hailed by organisers as proof their virus rules worked.

Olympic organisers have reported 547 cases linked to the Games since Jul 1, but there are already 131 cases among Paralympics participants with two days until the opening ceremony.

And Japan has reported more than 25,000 daily cases nationwide in recent days, even with multiple regions including Tokyo under virus states of emergency.

Paralympics participants, like their Olympic counterparts, are governed by so-called playbooks that mandate mask-wearing, daily tests for athletes, and limits on movement.

But Tokyo 2020 CEO Toshiro Muto said on Sunday "taking further careful measures is necessary".

These will include requiring Japan-based staff at the Paralympic Village - currently being tested every four days - to be tested daily.

And a rule allowing some participants to travel on public transport and move around freely after 14 days of restrictions will be scrapped.

"We ask them to take meals in facilities inside the Olympic venues or hotels they are staying at, eating individually without talking," Muto said.

"As to places they can visit, we ask them to limit that to places on their list of work."

Previously, some participants had been able to use public transport and move around without prior authorisation after 14 days in the country.

Most of those linked to the Paralympics who have tested positive so far are Japan-based Games staff and contractors, though four athletes and 10 media workers have also tested positive.

Japan's overall virus outbreak remains relatively small compared with some hard-hit nations, with around 15,500 deaths despite avoiding harsh lockdowns.

But the country's vaccine roll-out started slowly and officials are now racing to inoculate residents, with around 40 per cent of the population fully vaccinated//CNA

People disembark from a ferry in Bay Shore, New York, Aug 21, 2021, as it arrived from Fire Island. (Photo: AP/Craig Ruttle) - 

Hurricane Henri's outer bands moved onshore in southern New England and Long Island early on Sunday (Aug 22) as the storm threatened the region with high winds, a dangerous storm surge and drenching rainfall.

By 5am (5pm, Singapore time), Henri was located about 125km south-southeast of Montauk Point on Long Island in New York state, the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said.

It was carrying top sustained winds of 120 kmh and heading north. Henri was expected to make landfall on Long Island or southern New England later on Sunday, hitting land at or near hurricane strength, the centre said.

More than 42 million people in the region were under a hurricane or tropical storm warning on Saturday, the NHC said.

The centre warned that Henri could produce storm surges - when ocean waters are pushed above their normal level - of 1m to 1.5m) in some areas, as well as bringing rainfall of 7.5cm to 15cm.

Parts of Long Island and New Haven, Connecticut, were under hurricane and storm surge warnings. Other parts of New England, such as Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket, were under surge and tropical storm watches and warnings.

New York City, the largest city in the United States, was under a tropical storm warning. In a Twitter post on Saturday, Mayor Bill de Blasio urged residents to stay home on Sunday and to use public transport if they need to travel.

Emergency management officials said heavy rainfall and damaging winds could flood roadways and reduce visibility throughout the weekend.

"Secure outdoor objects and make sure you are in a safe location before the onset of wind and rain!," New York City Emergency Management Commissioner John Scrivani wrote in a tweet on Saturday.

On eastern Long Island, in the tiny Hampton hamlet of Amagansett, New York - where celebrities including Paul McCartney, Alec Baldwin and Gwyneth Paltrow have homes - residents packed supermarkets, hardware and liquor stores early on Saturday morning.

At the IGA supermarket, shelves were stripped bare of toilet paper, paper towels and other supplies. Motorists waited in long lines at gas stations while stores ran out of flashlights.

Michael Cinque, the owner of the Amagansett Wine & Spirit, deliberated whether to board up the windows of his store as shoppers streamed in and left with bottles of tequila, vodka and expensive liquors.

"You always have to be prepared," said Cinque, who has owned the store for 42 years and also volunteers as an emergency responder. "You have to take it seriously."

Officials on Fire Island off the south coast of Long Island told residents and visitors to leave or face the potential of getting stuck on the island.

In Newport, Rhode Island, a coastal yachting community of 25,000 people, sump pumps, flashlights and generators were also in high demand.

Eversource, the largest electric utility company in Connecticut, warned residents to be prepared for power outages for up to five to 10 days.

Several airlines issued travel alerts and were offering vouchers for tickets on flights in and out of the region over the weekend. The Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad were suspending Sunday service while Boston's public transportation system said it was reducing service for Sunday.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency on Saturday afternoon, warning people in areas prone to flooding to move to higher ground. Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker and Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont activated the National Guard in their states to help in possible rescue, debris clearing and public safety efforts//CNA

US Vice President Kamala Harris waves after landing at Singapore's Paya Lebar Air Base on Aug 22, 2021 to kick off her official visit to Southeast Asia. (Photo: Hanidah Amin) - 

United States Vice President Kamala Harris landed at Paya Lebar Air Base on Sunday (Aug 22) morning, kicking off a three-day visit to Singapore.

Ms Harris disembarked from the blue-and-white Air Force Two and gave a short wave.

She was greeted on the tarmac by Singapore Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan. The receiving party included Singapore’s Ambassador to the US Ashok Mirpuri and Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs Chee Wee Kiong.

Chargé d’Affaires at the US Embassy in Singapore Rafik Mansour was also at the airport to welcome Ms Harris. 

In a statement on Sunday afternoon, he said the past 55 years of partnership between the US and Singapore are "just the beginning".

“Through our defence and security agreements, our first free trade agreement in Asia, and the deep ties between our people, our enduring relationship brings strength and stability to the United States, Singapore, and the entire Indo-Pacific region," he added. 

Ms Harris chatted with the delegation from Singapore and was soon ushered into one of two armoured sports utility vehicles belonging to the US Secret Service.

The extensive motorcade, comprising vans, buses and a police motorcycle then rumbled off, making a U-turn around Air Force Two before leaving the air base.

This is Ms Harris’ first official visit to Asia, a trip which also includes Vietnam. The White House had said that her visit to Southeast Asia signals US commitment to the region and that it is "part of the Indo-Pacific".

Ms Harris is accompanied on this trip by senior officials from the Vice President's Office, National Security Council and Department of State.

The trip to Singapore, made at the invitation of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, comes on the heels of US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's tour of Southeast Asia, during which he made stops in Singapore, Vietnam and Philippines.

On Monday, Ms Harris will call on President Halimah Yacob and meet Mr Lee, before a joint press conference with the Prime Minister.

Ms Harris will also visit Changi Naval Base, where she will board the US Littoral Combat Ship USS Tulsa.

On Tuesday, Ms Harris will deliver a policy speech and participate in a roundtable with the business community involving Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong, before departing for Vietnam for the second leg of her Asia trip//CNA

Paralympics officials insist the reach of the event will be "incredible". (Photo: AFP) - 

The Tokyo Paralympics open on Tuesday (Aug 24) after a year-long pandemic delay and with the coronavirus continuing to cast a long shadow as Japan battles a record surge in cases.

As at the Olympics, the event will be marked by strict virus rules, with almost all spectators banned and tough restrictions on athletes and other participants.

While a swell of domestic support emerged during the Olympics after months of negative polls, there is deep concern in Japan as the Paralympics approach with the country going through a fifth virus wave.

More than 25,000 new cases were recorded on Thursday, and medics across the country have warned hospitals are at breaking point with serious cases also at record highs.

It is a challenging environment for the most important sports event for disabled athletes, and International Paralympic Committee chief Andrew Parsons has warned participants against complacency.

Despite the backdrop, IPC officials insist the reach of the event will be "incredible".

"Of course the fact that we will not have spectators at the venues is a challenge," Parsons told AFP in an interview.

"But we believe we will reach more than 4 billion people through broadcasting."

Local officials say the Games can be held safely, with athletes and other participants subject to the same anti-infection rules that applied to the Olympics.

Competitors can only enter the Paralympic Village shortly before their event and must leave within 48 hours of the end of their competition.

They will be tested daily and limited to moving between training venues, competition sites and the Village.

The measures are intended to prevent the Games from becoming a superspreader event - and officials say the Olympics proved the restrictions work.

There were 552 positive cases linked to the Olympics reported from Jul 1 until Sunday, the majority among Japan residents employed by the Games or working as contractors.

So far, 138 cases related to the Paralympics have been confirmed, also mostly among Japan-based Olympic officials, though at least four athletes have also tested positive.

But Olympic officials say there is no evidence of infection spreading from the Games to the rest of Japan, where case numbers were already on the rise.

Still organisers acknowledge the worsening environment.

"The infection situation today is different to how it was before the Olympics. It has deteriorated," said Tokyo 2020 official Hidemasa Nakamura on Friday.

"And the local medical system is also in a very tight situation."

The virus surge has caused tensions, with some local regions and schools cancelling planned trips to Games events despite support for the programme from Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike.

The mood among Paralympians remains buoyant though, after the uncertainties of the year-long delay//CNA