At least five persons, including athletes, have been found carrying the Covid-19 virus on their arrival in the Games Village. Czech beach volleyball player Ondrej Perusic and US artistic gymnast Kara Eaker were among the infected athletes.
Ondrej will miss his opening match and faces the threat of being ruled out of the postponed Games.
Kara, alternate in the women’s artistic gymnastics team, has been shifted, according to reports. There appears no threat to the main team, including Simone Biles, as they have not come into direct contact with the alternates. The main team is staying in the Games Village, while the alternates are staying in a different hotel.
Three other Covid cases have been reported since the teams had started arriving in Tokyo on July 1.
In total there have been 60 Games-related Covid cases till date.
Meanwhile, Perusic has said that the infection can potentially force him out of the Games entirely. “I don’t see it as the end of the world yet and I definitely don’t take it tragically just because it was far more important for me personally that we managed to qualify for the Olympics and that I proved to myself that I have it,” he reportedly said.
“There is a risk that I will either not play at all or for our team the tournament will be affected by this situation. This is a big complication.”
South African footballers Thabiso Monyane and Kamohelo Mahlatsi were the first Tokyo 2020 athletes to test positive for COVID-19 inside the Village.
A video analyst working with the team had also tested positive for the virus.
Earlier, athletes from Uganda, Israel and Serbia have tested positive for COVID-19 since arriving in Japan for the Games, while the Refugee Olympic Team delayed its travel to Tokyo after one of its delegation also returned a positive test.
The IOC, which had claimed the Village would be the “safest place” in the Japanese capital, and Tokyo 2020 have said the recent positive cases show the rules in place at the Games are working.
