Tokyo organisers insist Olympic Village ‘safe place to stay’
July 19, 2021: Organizers of the Tokyo Games insisted Monday that the Olympic Village was “a safe place to stay”, even as fears of a coronavirus outbreak just days before the opening ceremony have been realised.
Organizers announced Sunday that two South African footballers and a video analyst tested positive for the coronavirus in the village. And 21 more players and staff members of the South African team were designated as close contacts on Monday, just three days before their first match.
But sports organizers have ruled out the possibility of a cluster emerging, saying there has been “no significant setback” so far. “The IOC and Tokyo 2020 are very clear that the Olympic Village is a safe place to stay,” Tokyo 2020 spokesperson Masa Tekaya told reporters.
“Importantly, I have to tell you, it’s about responding to positive cases.”
So far, 61 positive cases have emerged in individuals involved in the Olympics which have already once been postponed due to the pandemic according to Takaya. He pointed out however, that this was from thousands of tests carried out.
“We cannot say that there will be no positive situation within the Olympic Committee, given that we have a large number of people involved in the project,” Takaya said. “But there are no specific bumps in the rate of positivity, compared to the same number found elsewhere.”
After two athletes and a video analyst tested positive for the virus, 21 members of the South African squad have been asked to stay in their rooms at the Olympic Village, organizers said. All three were previously confirmed events in Olympic Village teams.
The Czech Olympic Committee said on Monday that beach volleyball player Ondrej Perusic had tested positive for Covid 19 , which would be the fourth case. South African football’s close contacts – most of them players – were unable to train against hosts Japan despite several days of the tournament’s opening game on Sunday.
Takaya said the squad has been “very supportive” and would be allowed to train if they adhered to the rules, including living in their rooms, eating alone and using special transport. Takaya said the players would be eligible to play if they tested negative six hours before the match. “This is what we are currently coordinating with the South African Olympic Committee and others,” he said. “Once all the conditions are met, they will be able to attend their own training sessions.”
Participants are flying from all over the world for the games, which are facing a backlash due to the threat of a fresh covid spread in Japan.
The Olympic Village, a complex of apartments and catering areas in Tokyo, will house 6,700 athletes and staff during the Games. The Tokyo Games will be held largely without spectators to avoid mass infection.
The Japanese capital is in a state of emergency due to a coronavirus and is struggling to deal with the situation quickly.
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