Paralympics torch relay in Tokyo taken off public roads over COVID

The torch relay for the Tokyo Paralympics will be taken off public roads for Aug. 20-24 legs in the capital due to the current COVID-19 infection status, the metropolitan government said Tuesday.The runners will gather at a celebration venue instead and pass on the flame in a so-called torch kiss ceremony, it said. The relay for the Paralympics in the capital planned to have 700 runners tour a course of around 35 kilometers.The flame gathering events at the metropolitan government's building, which put together flames collected in 62 municipalities in the capital, will be held without spect…READ FULL ARTICLE