Tokyo 2020: Games volunteer tests COVID-19 positive

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Bengaluru, July 20: Tokyo 2020 organisers announced the first case of a Games volunteer testing positive for COVID-19 along with seven more contractors associated with the event.

Five athletes, three of them staying at the Games village, have tested positive for the dreaded virus till date, reports PTI news agency.

The volunteer who has returned a positive test is based in Iwate prefecture.

The total number of Games-related COVID infections has risen to 67 with the addition of nine more cases to the official list. Games volunteers are directly involved in assisting its operations before, during and after the event.

They play an active role in helping create the excitement among fans and assist athletes in managing logistics. With seven added to the list, the total number of infected contractors associated with the Games has gone up to 36.

Earlier, Czech beach volleyball player Ondrej Perusic became the third athlete at the Olympic Games Village to test positive for COVID-19, while an American alternate woman gymnast training in Chiba prefecture also got infected.

This came after South African footballers Thabiso Monyane and Kamohelo Mahlatsi and video analyst Mario Masha tested positive for the virus on Sunday.

The rescheduled Tokyo Olmpics will begin on Friday (July 23) and go on till August 8.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Tokyo 2020 Olympics - postponed for a year - is being held under strict protocols, including daily virus tests for athletes, to prevent any further spread in a country where most people have yet to get a vaccine and still want the Games cancelled or postponed again.

For the travelling media also the Games poses a big challenge.

Journalists who have arived for Tokyo 2020 Games in the Japanese capital city will have to follow strict COVID-19 restrictions for the first 14 days that will severely limit their movement to their hotels and the Olympic venues.

There is also a long list of requirements they must follow including daily testing and phone location sharing.