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Tokyo 2020: First COVID-19 case reported

Tokyo 2020 officials said it was not an athlete with the Games opening in just under a week on July 23.

Tokyo 2020

Bengaluru, July 17: The first resident of the Olympic Village has tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19), the AP news agency reports.

Tokyo 2020 officials said it was not an athlete with the Games opening in just under a week on July 23.

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Tokyo officials including Seiko Hashimoto, the president of the organizing committee, confirmed the case and said the positive test was Friday.

Organizers say for confidentiality purposes they can only offer a vague description and few details.

"In the current situation, that positive cases arise is something we must assume is possible," said Toshiro Muto, the CEO of the Tokyo organizing committee.

The person is identified simply as a "games-concerned personnel." The person is also listed as a non-resident of Japan.

Tokyo officials said the person was placed in a 14-day quarantine. The Olympic Village on Tokyo Bay will house about 11,000 athletes during the Olympics and thousands of other staff.

IOC President Thomas Bach said recently there was "zero" risk of athletes in the village passing on the virus to Japanese or other resident of the village.

Organisers say since July 1, 44 people under their "jurisdiction" have tested positive. None involved people living in the village and most are identified as "contractors" for Tokyo 2020 and "games-concerned personnel."

The list includes one athlete - who tested positive on July 14 - and three members of the media. Of the 44, only 12 are listed as "non-resident of Japan."

Organisers say that athletes and staff who have been away from Tokyo at training camps are excluded from this list and their accounting.

The rescheduled Tokyo Games will start on July 23 and run till August 8 with no entry for spectators.

Story first published: Saturday, July 17, 2021, 13:00 [IST]
Other articles published on Jul 17, 2021