Tokyo 2020: Eight Team GB members isolating as three new COVID-19 cases confirmed

Three more positive COVID-19 cases have been confirmed at the Tokyo Olympics ahead of Friday's opening ceremony.

London, July 19: Eight members of Great Britain's Tokyo 2020 athletics team are self-isolating after coming into close contact with an individual who tested positive for COVID-19.

The six athletes and two staff members, who each tested negative for coronavirus before flying to Japan last week, are now under the supervision of Team GB's medical team.

The individual who tested positive for coronavirus is not from the British delegation.

Team GB chef de mission, Mark England, said: "This is disappointing news for the athletes and staff, but we absolutely respect the protocols in place.

"We will offer them every support during this period and we are hopeful that they will be able resume training again soon."

The number of Games-linked individuals to have tested positive for coronavirus since testing began on July 1 now stands at 58 as of Monday, a rise of three from Sunday's update.

The latest three individuals to have tested positive – a Games-concerned personnel, a Tokyo 2020 contractor and a member of the media – will isolate for 14 days in hotel rooms.

No further athletes contracting the illness will be considered good news for officials after three individuals tested positive in the athletes' village over the weekend.

Two of those were confirmed on Sunday to be Thabiso Monyane and Kamohelo Mahlatsi of the South Africa men's football team, with the other being the team's video analyst.

Twenty-one South African players and officials have been identified as close contacts of the pair and must also isolate to stop the virus spreading in the Olympic Village.

Around 11,000 athletes from 205 national Olympic committees are expected to stay at the village over the next three weeks.

The 2020 Games, delayed by a year due to the global health pandemic, officially begins on Friday and will be held mostly without spectators due to a state of emergency being declared in Tokyo.

Infection rates in the Japanese capital have topped 1,000 for five days running, with a seven-day average of 1,068 as of Sunday.