Tokyo Olympics: First COVID Case Detected in Athlete's Village, Says Organisers
TOKYO:
As per the reports from organisers of the Tokyo Olympics 2021, an individual is said to be infected with COVID-19 in the Tokyo Olympics athletes' village, creating waves of tension for disease transmission ahead of the great sporting event which is set to commence from next week.
Toshiro Muto, CEO of Tokyo 2020, acknowledged that a foreign visitor involved in the Games' organisation had tested positive. He refused to identify the individual's country, citing privacy considerations.
In a news conference, Masa Takaya, spokesperson for the Tokyo organising committee, stated - ""There was one person in the Village. That was the very first case in the Village that was reported during the screening test."
The Tokyo Olympics, originally scheduled to take place in 2020 has been postponed to this year to to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic that had the world bent on its knees.
Athletes from all over the globe have just begun to arrive in Japan ahead of the Tokyo Games, which will take place from July 23 to August 8.
Many Japanese residents, however, are concerned about hosting the mega sporting event since it has the potential to act as a super spreader of this deadly infectious virus, putting a strain on the East Asian Island Nation's already overloaded healthcare infrastructure.
On Friday, a member of the Nigerian Olympic delegation was taken to a hospital after testing positive for the coronavirus at Narita airport. The person had relatively minor symptoms but was admitted to the hospital due their advanced age and pre-existing conditions. This marked the first incident of hospitalization of a Tokyo Olympics delegate due to COVID-19.
Several Covid-19 cases involving athletes and others associated with the Games, which begin July 23, have emerged, even as illnesses spread in Tokyo and medical specialists fear that worst is still yet to come.
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