Olympics-Support for Japan's PM Suga slides as COVID casts shadow over Tokyo Games

FILE PHOTO: Japan's Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga attends a news conference on Japan's response to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, at his official residence in Tokyo, Japan, June 17, 2021. REUTERS/Issei Kato/File Photo

TOKYO (Reuters) -Millions of Japanese watched the Olympics opening ceremony and many are cheering on their athletes, but the shadow of COVID-19 is so far preventing Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga from getting a boost in his soggy support ahead of an election this year.

Voter support for Suga slid nine points to 34%, its lowest since he took office last September, a July 23-25 Nikkei business daily survey showed on Monday. The Games, postponed last year by the pandemic, opened on Friday.