The Covid-19 promises to be the main star of the Tokyo Olympics, which begin next Friday and stretch through August 8. A first case has been identified in the Olympic village, announced this Saturday the organizing committee (TOCOG). He “was detected on arrival”, confirmed Takaya Masa, spokesperson for TOCOG, without specifying whether it is an athlete or a member of the management, or from which delegation the person. comes from.
The Olympics have already been postponed for a year due to the pandemic, and strict health measures have been put in place in Japan so that the planetary meeting can be held. “We are doing everything we can to prevent any further development of Covid-19. If we eventually find that there is contamination, we have a plan to respond, ”explained Seiko Hashimoto, president of the organizing committee.
With less than a week before the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics, the Japanese capital does not have the heart to celebrate this countdown, as local cases of Covid-19 continue to climb and the state of health emergency was put in place last Monday until August 22.
Draconian restrictions
Almost all of the Olympic events will take place behind closed doors and the tens of thousands of participants – from athletes to officials, including journalists from abroad – are subject to draconian restrictions due to health risks. These “countermeasures” are not enough to reassure the population in Japan, while Tokyo has recorded nearly 1,300 additional cases of coronavirus daily in recent days.
The president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Thomas Bach, however assured Thursday that the anti-Covid measures at the Olympics were working, and that the delegations followed and supported these rules. “It is in their interest and in solidarity with the inhabitants of Tokyo,” said Thomas Bach after visiting the Olympic Village.