The Tokyo Olympics organisers have confirmed a first case of COVID-19 inside the Olympic village in the city. The Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee CEO Toshiru Muto confirmed that a visitor from abroad who was involved in organising the Games has tested positive for the dreaded virus.
“In the current situation, that positive cases arise is something we must assume is possible,” said Muto.
“There was one person in the Village. That was the very first case in the Village that was reported during the screening test," Masa Takaya, spokesman for the Tokyo organising committee, told a press conference.
The organisers have refused to identify the infected person.
All the athletes as well as their support staff will be residing in the Olympic village during the duration of the Games.
“Right now this person is confined to a hotel," Takaya further said.
Athletes have started to arrive in Tokyo for the Olympics. On Thursday, India's only weightlifitng participant Mirabhai Chanu landed in Tokyo. Chanu is one of India's big medal hopes in the Games.
Japan has put multiple security protocols for athletes participating in the Olympics.
Athletes, tested daily for the coronavirus, will be isolated in the athletes’ village and are expected to stay there, or in similarly locked-down bubbles at venues or training sites. Those who break the rules could be sent home or receive fines and lose the right to participate in the Games.
Everyone associated with the Olympics will be asked to install two apps when entering Japan. One is an immigration and health reporting app, and the other is a contact tracing app that uses Bluetooth.
They will also have to consent to allowing organizers to use GPS to monitor their movements and contacts through their smartphones if there’s an infection or violation of rules.
