Para athletes taking part in the postponed Tokyo Games have been asked to arrive at the Paralympic village no earlier than seven days before the start of their first event, the International Paralympic Committee said Wednesday.

Under the period of stay guidelines approved by the IPC and Tokyo 2020 organizers, athletes will only be allowed to enter the village between five to seven days before they are to compete, and must leave no later than two days after they have finished their participation.

The IPC guidelines are almost identical to those for Olympic athletes announced by International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach last week.

The IPC said the aim of the guidelines is to "minimize the number of residents in the Paralympic village at any one time to lessen the risks of COVID-19 exposure."

Photo taken March 24, 2020, shows the athletes village for the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics. (Kyodo)

It has instructed national Paralympic committees to adapt their arrival and departure policies to ensure athletes meet the directive. Some period of stay exceptions will be considered subject to certain sport-specific criteria, the IPC said.

IPC President Andrew Parsons said safety is the priority for everyone involved in organizing the games.

"I cannot put into words the monumental effort that is being undertaken in unique circumstances by Tokyo 2020, the IOC, Tokyo metropolitan government, Japanese government and the IPC to ensure the games go ahead in a safe and secure manner next year," Parsons said.

"For now, all our efforts are going into ensuring the health and safety of all games stakeholders, starting with the athletes."

The Paralympics will be held between Aug. 24 and Sept. 5, 2021, following a one-year postponement prompted by the coronavirus pandemic.