An unidentified person tested positive forCOVID-19in theTokyo Olympicsathletes' village on Friday — one week ahead of the opening ceremony on July 23.
“I understand that there are still many worrying factors,” she said, according toNBC News. “Organizers must try to make sure that people will understand that these games are safe and secure.”
“We are sparing no efforts,” Hashimoto added.
The news comes just one day after International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach said there was “zero” risk of athletes infecting Japanese residents with the Coronavirus,Reutersreported.
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The international event, which was meant to take place in the summer of 2020 but rescheduled due to the pandemic, has various safety protocols in place, including a ban on all spectators.
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According to the IOC’s most recenthealth and safety statementon planned protocol, all participants must also be tested at least twice before flying to Tokyo — which is just the first of many rounds of testing.
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Olympians must also wear masks inside the village, even if they are vaccinated. Ample signage on social distancing and personal hygiene will also be displayed throughout.
Tokyo Olympics.Jinhee Lee/NurPhoto via Getty
Some athletes, including Australian tennis starNick Kyrgios, have decided to opt out of the Olympics in recent weeks.
“It’s a decision I didn’t make lightly,” Kyrgios said in a statement on July 9. “It’s been my dream to represent Australia at the Olympics and I know I may never get that opportunity again. But I also know myself. The thought of playing in front of empty stadiums just doesn’t sit right with me. It never has.”
A May survey showed that nearly 60 percent of people in Japan wanted the Olympics to be canceled again this year, according toReuters. Additionally, a petition to cancel the Olympics with 350,000 signatures was sent to organizers that same month,CNNreported.
source: people.com
