but let's begin with cnn's blake essig in tokyo. let's talk about that weather. hot and humid right now, we understand? >> yeah, alison, hot and humid. it's an understatement. it is really at times unbearable for long stretches when you're outside. before covid-19 turned the world upside down, it really was the weather that was supposed to have been dominating headlines around these olympic games. while cases in tokyo are surging and olympic-related cases continue to climb, it's the weather that could cause problems for organizers in the coming days. a tropical storm is approaching japan and could make landfall, hitting the tokyo area on tuesday. japan's meteorological agency says that the storm is unlikely to strengthen into a typhoon but could still bring heavy rains, strong winds, and high waves. as a result, rowing events have been canceled on tuesday and pushed back to wednesday or thursday. while the surfers have avoided the tropical storm for now, other athletes have those high temperatures and humidity to contend with as the threat of heatstroke will be a

blake essig joining us live in tokyo.s been a historic achievement in the skateboarding, patrick. >> yeah. it's just incredible! wow. it's day three of competition. official competition. another day to savor for japan. once again the current leaders in the skateboarding making the debut at the games. in the women's competition, in fact, it's incredible. all three competitors on the podium are teenagers! at 13 one of the youngest gold medal winners in olympics history. and brazil is winning silver medal. her age is 13, a s well! and the men's competition is rounding out a super couple of days. >> fantastic to see. i mean, it makes me feel like an underachiever. i've said it before. we are seeing incredible story lines and plenty to talk about this morning when i woke up. in the aquatics center one british competitor. >> it's great story lines all the way! we had many of them over the weekend carrying on into monday. adam peaty winning gold in the men's 100 meter. the 26-year-old from england not just the defending champ, e

blake essig is in tokyo. explain more what banning spectators will mean for the olympics. >> well, you know, kim, just some breaking news, fukushima, there's softball, baseball, that was supposed to be held. it will be held there but it will also be held there without spectators, we learned moments ago. for months, we talked about how unpopular the games have been with the general public and while holding them without spectators is seen as a good move, the fact they're still being held given the circumstances ongoing pandemic remains a point of contention. now, tokyo has been living under a constant quasi, or full state of emergency, since april. there's consternation that people are being forced to make sacrifice but the olympic and paralympic games are still being held. of course, the prime minister declared a state of emergency for the capital lasting until august 22nd. this is coming at at a time when tokyo is experiencing another surge in cases of the delta variant. the vaccine rollout is moving incredibl

and blake essig is following the story for us. as we see that olympic covid cases continue to pile up, i've read that the gymnastics team and basketball team are staying in a hotel rather than the village. how is that any safer? >> reporter: well, you know, as far as the usa gymnastics team and possibly the basketball team staying in a hotel, the idea that you are not going to be potentially surrounded by tens of thousands of other athletes in an environment that you might not be able to control will absolutely be attractive to make sure that you don't have any athletes that do test positive. cases in tokyo are surging and olympic-related cases continue to pile up. as of today, 79 people involved with the games have tested positive, five have been confirmed from inside the olympic village. and even though the opening ceremony is only two days away, while it seems unlikely, the tokyo 2020 chief says organizers are not ruling out canceling the games at the last minute although organizers maintain that the olympic village is a safe p

. >> cnn's blake essig is in tokyo. blake, this controversy, just the latest in a growing list of problems for these games. >> yeah, kim, absolutely. just the latest controversy to impact these games. the opening and closing ceremonies' director has been dismissed for mocking the holocaust and making anti-semitic jokes during a comedy routine in the '90s. as a result, he released this statement saying, as it was pointed out, there were some inappropriate expressions in the scripts from my past skit. i understand that my foolish choice of words, at the time, was a mistake. and i regret it. now, the director's dismissal takes place just a few days after the man in charge of composing music for the opening and closing ceremonies was forced to resign, after social-media backlash after he admitted to be -- to bullying children with disabilities, years ago. although, olympic organizers said that they wouldn't use the composer's music, they haven't said how the director's removal would impact the opening ceremony. now, when the

cnn's blake essig joins me, now, live this hour in fukushima. blake, good to see you. cases, still, rising with very worrying speed. what's the latest on that and -- and, you know, how the japanese people are feeling about this? >> well, you know, michael, even though fukushima isn't under a state of emergency, cases here are increasing. and as a result, no fans will be allowed to attend the baseball and softball games scheduled to be played at the stadium at the end of this road, behind me, during the olympics. now, back in tokyo, covid-19 cases are, also, surging. just this past week, the daily-case count hit its highest mark in six months. because of health and safety concerns, these olympic games have been, and continue to be, deeply unpopular with the majority of the japanese people. now, the effort by olympic organizers to cement a positive legacy and create an upbeat tone for these games through pre-olympic events, like the torch relay, simply hasn't worked. now, in fact, i spoke with people at an anti-olympic protest just last night, who told me that it's not t

blake essig is standing by live in tokyo, but we'll start with world sport anchor patrick snell here in atlanta. a lot action to talk about. >> 21 gold megd medals came up grab this is friday. let's start where south african star with a day to remember. not only winning gold in the 200 meter breast stroke, but also breaking the world mark with a time of 2:18.95. just overcome with emotion upon realizing what she had 34 accomplished there. and lilly king led until the 150 meter turn but then the south african powered away to that famous victory but king with the silver medal. >>> and the 24-year-old not representing the united states to win gold, this in the 200 meter backstroke. get this, since 1992. his winning time, 1:53.27. ryan murphy taking silver. >>> and in the bmx bike racing, we've been following this closely. connor fields was involved in a crash earlier today. failing to finish during the third round of the men's semis. fields taken away in an ambulance. we've learned that the 28-year-old is now awake thankfully and awaiting further medical evaluation. the final for the re

cnn's blake essig is in tokyo for us. for the olympics. >> yeah, kim, the olympic games have turned into a tv event.the buzz and excitement that typically comes with the olympics doesn't exist. now in the buildup to the games and without fans it's hard to imagine that changing. while the biggest impact will likely be felt by fans who are excited about seeing the games in person and for the athletes hoping to feed off the crowd's energy. financially, the impact is minimal. revenue from ticket sales would only have totaled about $800 million. big profits from come from broadcast rights and sponsorships. 75% of ioc budget comes from media rights. so it should come as no surprise with billions of dollars on the line that the games will be held despite safety concerns. for now, we've talked about how unpopular the games have been with the general public and medical professionals. while holding them without spectators is generally seen as a good move, the fact that they're being held at all remains say point of contention. tokyo

blake essig in tokyo. appreciate it. good to see you.tigating an enormous fire that officials say killed 52 people, at least. the flames broke out on thursday at a juice factory. firefighters finally getting it under control the next day. but many factories in the country do not have adequate fire and building-safety standards, as cnn's kim brunhuber reports. >> reporter: clouds of black smoke billow through the area of this multistory building, as firefighters struggle to put out the flames of this massive fire. it started thursday afternoon at a juice and food factory located just outside bangladesh's capital. it burned until friday afternoon. according to a fire official, the fire started on the ground floor. workers tried to escape to the roof. but many were trapped, as the fire spread to the stairway exits. >> translator: if the workers could have reached the rooftop, we could have saved them. like the 25 people we rescued with our crane. if only they could have reached there, we would have been able to save them. >> reporter: a few

cnn's blake essig is live in oyama city, japan. trick snell of cnn world sport is with me here in atlanta. let's start with you, blake. you're at one of the few places japanese people can actually go and watch anything. tell us what they're telling you. >> reporter: you know, michael, despite how unpopular these games remain, there is a curiosity. i get the sense that a lot of people are really mixed about supporting the olympics given the obvious health and safety concerns. but at the same time, there's an excitement that these games are finally under way. and there's also clearly a desire from some to experience the olympic atmosphere any way they can. yesterday that meant battling crowds to take pictures outside of the national stadium ahead of the opening ceremony. and for the people behind me here today, it means sitting in an auditorium to watch the games and experience that olympic spirit as a community. now, this is one of the only live public viewing sites in the country. 2,000 people applied, but given social distancing re

blake essig joins me live from tokyo.talk us through what the situation is, healthwise. >> reporter: yeah, robyn, it's not good. the fifth wave of infection continues to swell here in tokyo and across japan. just in the past hour or so, we learned that tokyo has once again for a fourth time this week set a new record for the most cases reported in a single day since the pandemic began. japan's prime minister said infections are increasing and spreading faster than ever before. as a result, a state of emergency was declared for osaka and several other prefectures. here, the governor also extended a state of emergency here in the capital until the end of august. for now, vaccination rate nationwide remains relatively low at 28%. and the prime minister ysuga is urging to stay fervent. >> translator: one of them very worrying is the rapid include of infections. >> reporter: medical professionals say most cases being reported are of people in their 30s -- excuse me, 40s and 50s who haven't been able to receive the vaccine yet

we begin our coverage with blake essig joining me live from tokyo. and despite all of those negatives, the show is going to go on. >> reporter: yeah, after months of uncertainty and a jen population that doesn't want the games to happen, the open ceremony, official start of the 2020 olympic games, is just three hours away. and the foot traffic around the national stadium has been constant, everyone is out here camera in hand taking pictures of the stadium behind me and that is about as close as they will get to be able to be a part of the opening ceremony because no spectators are allowed inside. i monthly have not seen so many people out walking around since the pandemic began. of course that is not great news given the surge in covid-19 cases, but people have told me that they are out here out of curiosity. now, we've been talking to people throughout the day to gauge their level of excitement, and generally speaking it is health, safety and surge in cases, not the olympics, that dominates the conversation, with some saying that it is hard to get e

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but let's begin with blake essig, who is in tokyo for us. and, blake, covid is, still, very much a focus of these games. but some people's attention are turning to the weather. >> yeah. you know, michael, look. the legacy of these olympic games will no doubt be defined by the global-health crisis. but before covid-19 turned the world on its head, it was the weather that was supposed to have been dominating headlines around these olympic games. and while cases in tokyo are surging, and olympic-related cases continue to climb. it's the weather that could continue to cause problems, here, for organizers. a tropical storm is approaching japan, and could make landfall hitting the tokyo region on tuesday. japan's meteorological agency says the storm is unlikely to strengthen into a typhoon, but could, still, bring heavy rain, strong winds, and high waves as a result. rowing events have been cancelled, on tuesday, and pushed back to wednesday or thursday. now, while the surfers have avoided the tropical storm, at least for now, other athletes have h

. >>> cnn's blake essig joins from us tokyo with more. we're not just watching the competition.keeping our eye on covid cases but i understand the weather is also a factor. >> yes, alison. there are a lot of things to keep an eye on here at the tokyo 2020 olympic games, covid, weather, also history being made at these olympic games on the second day of official competition both surfing and skateboarding made their olympic debuts earlier today and the 22-year-old uto origami of japan won the men's street final in skateboarding. the tokyo born gold medalist grew up skating at plazas and parks with his father, also a street skater. other olympic sports making debuts in tokyo include karate, speed climbing, as well as baseball and softball, which are making their return to the olympics after 13 years and the legacy of these olympic games will be defined of course by the global health crisis, no question about that. before covid-19 turned the world upside down it was the weather supposed to dominate headlines around the olympic games. while cases in tokyo are surging and olympic rela

for the latest developments we bring in blake essig who is live in otami.ee in the monitor there, it is getting darker, night is falling there but it's still you can see the devastating landscape behind you. what is the latest? >> reporter: yes, kim, just within the past 15, 20 minutes all of the people that were conducting the search and rescue have hopped in cars and seemed to have called it a night. they started around 6:00 a.m. this morning at first light and we imagine that will be the case once again tomorrow as there are still about 20 people missing, unaccounted for, following torrential rains that triggered a massive landslide in the seaside resort time of otami. it happened around 10:30 saturday morning, a section of hillside gave way sending residents scrambling as a torrent of mud and water came crashing through town leaving behind a trail of death and destruction. city officials say 130 homes have been completely buried or swept away and hundreds more have been affected. around 700 people are cysting with the search and rescue efforts so far. s

cnn's blake essig is live in tokyo, japan. what are officials saying this morning? >> reporter: well, you know, laura and julia, with a few days to go before the start of the olympics, it's fair to say things are not exactly going smoothly. as you mentioned, so far 58 people involved with the games have tested positive for covid-19 after arriving in japan. there's also a growing list of athletes and olympic-related personnel who have been forced into isolation after being considered close contacts with people who tested positive. despite that, olympic officials maintain they will be able to hold a safe and secure olympics. take a listen. >> olympic village is a safe place to stay. we cannot say there will be no positive cases within the olympic community given the situation we have a massive number of people are engaged within the project. >> reporter: the increase in cases across the board continues to negatively impact public support for the games. it's likely the reason why top olympic games sponsor toyota has decided not to air olympic-related ads during the gam

and blake essig is standing by live for us in tokyo. and we start with patrick snell. both these gentlemen have been keeping us up-to-date. patrick, quite a busy morning in the andswimming center. >> and so much focus on dressel. and he has an olympic record. the 24-year-old's first individual olympic gold medal as well. he previously earned three relay golds including the men's 4 x 100 free style relay. that was earlier. and russians winning bronze. and dressel got really emotional afterwards. and the video is very, very powerful, we'll be bringing you that on later thirst ursday edi of "world sport." and bobby fink won gold, another great story, just 21 years of age, still a senior at the university of florida here in the u.s. in his first olympics as well. powering his way to a win in the 800 meter free style. very impressive win for him. and this the first time by the way for a man's 800 meeterolympics. and china a gold medal finish in the women's 200 meter free style relay finishing with 7:40.33. also breaking the world mark today. china with a leading 14th gold m

blake essig is live in tokyo for us. the head of this organizing committee i thought was really stunning to say that this 11th hour cancellation is possible, but how likely is that to actually happen? >> reporter: yeah, you know, it seems more political at this point begin how unpopular these games have been for months with the general population. but there is no question health and safety remain a big concern and all those organizers maintain that the olympic village is a safe place to stay, team usa gymnastics has decided to stay at a hotel in tokyo rather than stay at the olympic village to better be able to control athletes and their safety. it is hard to imagine that the legacy of these olympic games won't be defined by the global health crisis and with all the rules and regulations put in place, tokyo 2020 is shaping up to be remembered as the no fun olympics. >> welcome to day one. it was such a perfect day today. >> reporter: with just a few days to go before the games begin, the olympic village is starting to co

blake essig is joining us from where the games will take place. and good morning to you. i mean, it is not only olympic dreams really here, but lives on the line. so what are olympic organizers saying, how much covid is too much for them? >> reporter: yeah, if you ask medical professionals or the general population, one case stemming from these olympic games is one too many. but olympic officials are saying that they feel really good with where the current numbers are. and as of today, 71 people involved with the games have tested positive for covid-19 here in japan, that includes one alternate on the u.s. women's gymnastics team wowho tested po. and she and another alternate who is a close contact are now in isolation. out of the 71 positive cases, four have come from inside the olympic village. overall olympic officials say out of those who have arrived, only 28 positive cases have come as a result. and so that is 0.1% positivity rate so that shows according to olympic officials that they are doing really well when it comes to keeping the case countdown. >> so officials

blake essig joins us live from tokyo. details about the skateboarding competition since this was its debut. >> history was made for a number of reasons when the olympic calderon was lit by naomi osaka on friday. the second official full day of competition we get to talk about some olympic firsts including history made in the arena of skateboarding, surfing and skateboarding made their olympic debuts earlier today and 22-year-old uto horigome won the street final in a huge moment for japan and skateboarding, tokyo born skater grew up skating in plazas and parks with his father, who is also a street skater. other olympic sports making their olympic debuts in tokyo include karate and speed climbing. baseball and softball are making their return to the olympics after 13 years away. despite the history being made here in tokyo, the legacy of these olympic games will be defined by the global health crisis. there is no question about that. before covid-19 turned the world on its head it was the weather that was supposed to be th

blake essig, thank you very much. >>> now the w.h.o. warns the global covid case total could exceed 200 million by the time the tokyo games are over if the current trends kincontinue. meanwhile in the u.s., the cdc is projecting increase in covid deaths and hospitalization over the next month as you can see there. the latestdicts as many as 14,000 new hospitalizations by mid august. >>> in california los angeles county reporting more than 2500 cases on wednesday, that is 20 times the amount of infections reported just a month ago. the mayor of new orleans announced an indoor mask advisory due to a dramatic spike in cases there. although masks are not mandatory, it is recommended that even vaccinated residents wear one while inside. and for those across the country who are unvaccinated, the director of the national institutes of health has this warning. take a listen. >> for those who are not vaccinated, this is becoming a pandemic that has you in its sights. hospitalizations going up as much as two-fold in just the last two weeks. and c

blake essig is right there. probably my ignorance, i had no idea that baseball was at the olympics, but i ca wh no crowds. >> reporter: yeah, you can be forgiven as baseball has had a touch and go relationship with the olympics since possible first debuted back in 1904, only appearing in 14 out of 27 olympics since then. but after a 13 year absence, baseball is officially back in the olympics. as you sees the, the lights arel on but the game is over. japan won 4-3. i can only imagine what that stadium would have sounded like if fans were allowed inside. and so it is a big disa pointed here to the people here in fukushima who were looking to highlight the region's recovery ten years after disaster. >> translator: we had no option but to accept no spectators in order to protect ourselves from the infection. but i wish children could at least watch the games at the stadium. why can't they go? >> reporter: and baseball was most recently voted out by the international olympic committee back in 2004 in part because ma

cnn's blake essig joins me live this hour from fukushima. worrying speed of growth in the capital. what's the latest there where you are? >> reporter: you know, michael, the surge in cases not only in the capital but really all over japan at this point even though fukushima isn't under a state of emergency, cases here are increasing. and as a result, no fans will be allowed to attend the baseball and softball games scheduled to be played here during the olympics at the stadium, zuma stadium right here behind me. back in tokyo, covid-19 cases are also surging. just this past week, the daily case count hit its highest mark in six months. because of health and safety concerns these olympic games continue to be deeply unpopular with the majority of japanese people. the effort to cement a positive legacy and create an upbeat tone for these games through pre-olympic events like the torch relay hasn't worked. i spoke with people at a protest last night who told me it's not too late to cancel these games. they say long after the world spotlight has

blake essig is live in tokyo. good morning. >> reporter: yeah, good morning.he big story line ways supposed to be the weather and while covid-19 remains the focus, the heat is proving to be very problematic for athletes. temperatures in tokyo have consistently been in the 90s, but because of the high humidity, i assure you it feels much, much hotter. as a result of the heat, tennis matches will start later in the day. the decision came after several players including number one novak djokovic spoke out saying he has never faced conditions like this in his life. and another player told a judge i can finish the match, but if i die, who will take responsibility. and then there was this, paula left the court in a wheelchair after suffering heat stroke. and organizers are providing athletes with special cooling tep tents and ice bags. and of course while still too early to tell, so far olympic related related cases remain relatively low. but today more than 3800 cases were reported in tokyo, that is the highest daily total for the capitol every reported. a statemen

blake essig is there for us. he's live from the water polo olympics venue in tokyo. hi, there! ames have been with the japanese people. until about a week before the opening ceremony, poll after poll showed the vast majority, often 80%, wanted the olympics either cancelled or postponed. the reasons over health and safety. it hasn't changed with cases in tokyo surging and olympic-related cases continuing to pile up. since competition began last week, it seems like the move around the made-for-tv event has started to shift. nearly 70 million people watched the opening ceremony. the ceo of olympic broadcast services said it was the most watched event in japan over the past decade. so far 80% of japan's roughly 126 million people have tuned in to watch the games at some point. even though the buzz and excitement isn't exactly what you expect from a city hosting the olympics, people are trying to experience the games in any way possible and proof of that just today people lined the course to cheer on triathletes as they competed. they weren't supposed to be there but it didn't stop l

blake essig is live in tokyo. obviously this is all going on with the olympics happening.>> reporter: absolutely not ideal right now. a fifth wave of infection continues to swell. as a result just within the past shower, japan's prime minister has declared a state of emergency for several pre-vehiclpareas. and the past several days the infection rate has soared record high daily totals have been recorded nationwide. and inside the olympic bubble. although olympic related cases remain relatively low, you bubble has already burst and the more transmission that takes place outside of the general population the more opportunity for people within the bubble to get infected. according to the national institute of infectious disease, the delta variant is responsible for about 70% of cases reported locally. worth noting that tokyo's most recent state of emergency order has been in place for about two weeks and it has done little to nothing to reduce the number of cases. japan's medical association fevers that if the surge of infection continues, the medical system will collapse. >

and instead of excitement, as you said, there's obviously a >> blake essig, thank you. >>> the new yorker a covid outbreak forced them to postpone their game against boston. >> yeah. this was the first mlb game postponed because of the virus since april. andy scholes joins now. andy, the team's saying that most of the positives are actually breakthrough cases. >> yeah, good morning, guys, this is the second time the yankees have dealt with an outbreak on the team. last week, three members of the support staff tested positive. aaron judge, one of six yankees players that tested positive placed on the covid-19 list. manager aaron boone says a few of the players are showing mild symptoms but some are totally asymptomatic. the yankees one of the teams that reached the 85% threshold that allowed that them to relax covid protocols. new york were shut out 4-0 by the red sox last night. yankees nine games out of first. pitcher derrick old says he feels like the team has been hit by a digital microscopic truck right now. >>> coming off the all-star break, the rockies playing the dodgers without

for more let's bring in blake essig who is live in otami, japan. just looking behind you, a dramatic landscape there. what more can you tell us on the ground there? >> reporter: yes, kim, the sun is almost out here. the search will continue for about another hour, torrential rains triggered a massive landslide in otaami and the horrifying scene was captured 10:30 saturday morning a section of the hillside gave way sending residents scrambling, leaving behind a trail of death and destruction. you can see that trail of death and destruction the residential area once littered with homes but otami city officials say 130 homes have been buried or swept away and hundreds more affected just like the one you're seeing right now. the bottom floor completely destroyed and mud splattered up the side of the house. search and rescue efforts have been under way throughout the data find survivors. city officials say 19 people have been rescued, dug out from their homes. around 700 people are assisting with operations and that includes police officers, firefighter

cnn's blake essig joins us live from fukushima, japan. i mean, this must be adding to already growing worries there. >> reporter: yeah, you know, kim, across the country right now, cases are increasing. and there was always the fear that the olympics would bring in potentially more cases. and, you know, it's small right now, but the numbers are growing by the day. now, even though fukushima isn't under a state of emergency, cases here are also increasing. and as a result, no fans will be allowed to attend the baseball and softball games scheduled to be played inside the stadium behind me in the distance during the olympics. back in tokyo. covid-19 cases are surging this past week. the daily case count hit its highest case mark in six months. because of health and safety concerns these olympics games have been and continue to be deeply unpopular with the majority of japanese people. the effort by organizers to cement the positive legacy and create an upbeat tone through events like the torch relay simply has not worked. i spoke to anti-oly

blake essig is live in fukushima near the stadium. >> reporter: good morning.n relationship with the summer olympics. it has only been included 14 out of the possible 27 times including the games here in japan. the sport was last voted out in 2005 by the international olympic committee in part because the game's best players don't participate. but now after 13 years, baseball is back. there is something about baseball in japan that is just different. here it is less about the game and all about the people. >> translator: baseball is people's life and passion. if there were no baseball, everyone would be depressed. >> reporter: rooted in japanese culture, the players on the field and fans in the stands each play an important role. >> translator: fans and spectators feel as if we are playing game with the players together. >> reporter: and that is the kind of connection that can help sooth the community in the wake of disaster. it is a role the semi pro red hopes have played since 2014. one that continues today. although it looks a little different. the coronavir

blake essig is live in tokyo for us. another day, another athlete testing positive for covid. what is the feeling in tokyo right now? >> reporter: you know, as far as athletes are concerned, generally speaking some are worried and for good reason by no fault of their own after a lifetime of preparation, their olympic dream could be cut short if they catch covid-19 or are considered a close contact with someone who tests positive. now, that fear has been realized by two american athletes already who tested positive for covid-19 including katie lou samuelson and kara eaker, an alternate for the women's gymnastics team. while cases continue to surge, as of today 71 people involved with the games have tested positive for covid-19 here in japan, four have come from inside the olympic village. despite the growing case count, sk jill biden is still planning to travel to tokyo for the olympics. she will limit engage the with the public and keep as small of a footprint as possible.with the public and keep as small of a footprint as possible. and while the opening ceremonies are just da

blake essig, cnn, osaka. >>> i'm kim brunhuber. thanks for being with us.ith more "cnn newsroom" in just a moment. -hey. -hi. wh, nice car. thanks, yeahi actually got a great deal on it too, wh, nicealthough my interest rate is awful. have you checked your credit? i got like a free score from some app or something like that. but lenders don't even use that score. creditrepair.com has a free credit snapshot that can show you exactly what's happening with your credit score. and killing my interest rates. well, great seats though. -thank you. -like really. just knowing your score won't improve it. instead, work to actually fix your credit with creditrepair.com. our new scented oils give you our best smelling scents. now crafted with more natural ingredients and infused with essential oils that are 100% natural. give us one plug and connect to nature. >>> a warm welcome to our viewers joining us in the yund a united states and around the world. i'm isa soares in london. just ahead -- >> america is back and they go are you really back? i mean, we believe you, jo

>> all right, thanks so much, blake essig in tokyo. appreciate it. >>> all right.'s turn now to cnn sports analyst christine brennan who is also in tokyo. thanks so much for joining us. i want to start with the number of athletes who have dropped out because of covid and the games haven't even started yet obviously. how badly do you think the missing athletes and the loss of the star power will disrupt the games from a sporting point of view? >> reporter: kim, it's certainly hard to tell what the final count will be and the final numbers will be. but i think right now the olympics can weather these losses. in other words, the games will move on and the swimming and track and field and so many other sports, gymnastics, of course, with the great samoan biles. i think that they will be missed, but i think the overwhelming headlines will be about the athletes who are here. now, if this continues even more, if it gets to the point where there are bigger names yet to come, especially like men's basketball, women's basketball, et cetera, then i think you could see this be

blake essig is live for us. what did the ioc president say this morning? games. but the same can't be said no the handling of covid-19. they are now under a fourth straight emergency order. they have seen an increase in the number of infections compared to the previous week as cases continue to surge, experts believe a potential fifth baf of infection will exceed the previous wave. that prediction isis bad on the delta variant and increase in people's movement. people in tokyo have been living under a constant state of emergency since april and it is clear that fatigue is setting in. regardless of the case count with the start of the olympics just ten days away, organizers are making their final push to prepare for the games that includes the open ing of the olympic village. and they are left to deal with the news that four of its contractors who supply electricity were arrested for allegedly violating the narcotics laws. tokyo 2020 says that they would issue a strict warning to the company. despite the legal troubling and recent surge in covid-19 cases, o

let's start with blake essig who is at one of the only locations where spectators are actually being d at an olympic event, in this case it's cycling. blake, take us in the room. how are fans feeling there, especially as we're watching the number of covid cases rise? >> reporter: boris, kaitlan, despite now unpopular these games remain because of those health and safety concerns, there is a curiosity. i get the sense that a lot of people are really mixed about supporting the olympics given the current circumstances but at the same time there's excitement that these games now that they are under way are clearly -- desire -- people want to experience the olympic atmosphere in any way they possibly can and yesterday that meant battling crowds to take a picture outside of the national stadium ahead of the opening ceremony and for people today it meant sitting in an auditorium for seven hours to watch the road race and experience that as a community. while they weren't allowed to vocalize their excitement they did use these wood clappers to create a festival-like atmosphere and cheer on co

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blake essig is live in tokyo for us.ported the highest increase in new cases since january 15th. yet the games are going on. >> reporter: yeah, we are just one day away from the torch being lit and the start of tokyo 2020 despite a surge of cases and a pandemic that is still raging in many parts of the world. and while the head of the world health organization has backed these olympic games, he has also offered a little perspective saying by the time the olympic flame is extinguished, more than 100,000 people will perish of covid-19. even with the state of emergency order in place, cases recorded today reached its fourth highest daily total since the pandemic began. as far as the olympic-related cases are concerned, that number currently stands at 91, with four new cases confirmed in the olympic village, bringing that total up to eight. its clear that the olympic village bubble has in fact been punctured. athletes are worried about catching covid-19 or being considered a close contact with someone who tests positive, ess

let's head live now to tokyo and blake essig. athletes have so much to contend with, a tropical storm on the way, staying focused on the job at hand, but also the rise in covid cases. >> reporter: yeah, we just learned within the last few minutes that today in tokyo more than 2800 cases were reported. to put that in perspective, that is the highest case count that has been reported on a daily basis since this pandemic began here in tokyo. the previous record was about 2400 cases back in january during the third wave. and we had heard from experts over the past month that warned as a result of the delta variant that cases in the 2000s were possible next month, down the road. but we're here and the reality is right now, cases are surging to the point almost out of control. and part of that, even though there is a current state of emergency in place, you see a lot of people out and about, people are gathering to celebrate the olympics. and cases are surging. and so it is hard to imagine that you will see that stop. and we've talked