Covid case found at athletes’ village, raising fears ahead of Tokyo Olympics

A person has tested positive for Covid-19 at the Tokyo Olympics athletes’ village, organisers said on Saturday, adding to concerns about infections at the Games which begin next week.

Tokyo 2020 CEO Toshiro Muto confirmed that a visitor from abroad who is involved in organising the Games had tested positive. He would not reveal the person’s nationality, citing privacy concerns.

The Tokyo 2020 Olympics, postponed for a year due to the global pandemic, is being held mostly without spectators and under tight quarantine rules.

The news comes a day after IOC President Thomas Bach had assured that Games won’t bring any risk to the Japanese people.

“We are making all our efforts and the Japanese people have all our commitment to contribute in the best way to fight this virus and not to bring any risk to the Japanese people,” Bach told reporters after meeting Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga.

Bach had also added that most of all the residents in the Olympic Village in Tokyo were vaccinated.

“This is why I’d like to humbly ask the Japanese people to warmly welcome the athletes from all around the world who have overcome, like the Japanese people, so many challenges.”

(More to follow)

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text.