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published photo, Getty Images
The Athletes’ Village is located in the Harumi waterfront district of Tokyo
Two South African footballers have become the first contestants to test positive for coronavirus at the Tokyo Athletes’ Village – five days before the start of the Olympics.
Meanwhile, six athletes and two members of the British Olympic delegation’s athletic team are undergoing self-isolation, after it was determined that they had been in close contact with someone who tested positive for the virus after arriving in Tokyo on July 16.
The South African Football Association has confirmed that Tabisu Munyani and Kamuhilo Mahlatsi’s results are positive.
South African soccer team video analyst Mario Masha also tested positive on Saturday and the team is in quarantine pending further test results.
Another athlete from outside the village also tested positive on Sunday.
“We have three positive COVID-19 cases in the camp here, two players and one official,” South Africa team manager Mxulese Sibam said.
He added: “There is a daily check-up which includes a temperature measurement and a saliva test, and Masha and Munyan reported having a high temperature and positive saliva tests, then they were given a blood test. nose that we all did at the start, and unfortunately they tested positive for Covid through that test. And Mahlatsi is the last player to go through the same process. “
South African rugby coach Neil Powell also tested positive on Sunday when he arrived in Japan and is now isolated in Kagashimo, where the squad are based at a pre-match training camp.
In total, organizers reported 10 new Olympics-related cases on Sunday, including members of the media, contractors and other employees. Against 15 new cases on Saturday.
Infection rates are increasing in the general population of Tokyo, with more than 1,000 new cases for four consecutive days. Opinion polls show that many Japanese are against holding the games with the influx of foreign visitors.
Tokyo 2020 spokesperson Masa Takaya said all three cases were from “the same country and the same sport”. They are “isolated in their rooms and Tokyo 2020 their meal book,” he said.
For its part, the British Olympic Association indicated that six athletes and two members of the athletics team had been in close contact with a person infected with Covid outside the association’s team delegation to Tokyo.
The group is isolated in their rooms at the association’s preparatory camp, having all tested negative on arrival in Japan, under the supervision of the British Olympic Mission’s medical team, led by Chief Medical Officer Dr Niall Elliott .
Chef de Mission Mark England said: “This is disappointing news for the athletes and staff, but we are fully adhering to established protocols.”
“We will give them our full support during this period and hope that they can resume training soon,” he added.
Speaking on Saturday, Olympic President Seiko Hashimoto said: “Maybe the athletes coming to Japan are very worried. I understand that.”
“We are doing everything we can to prevent any outbreak of Covid. If we end up with an outbreak, we will make sure we have a response plan in place,” he added.
All members of the Australian athletics team at the Tokyo Olympics were quarantined on Saturday in their room in their training camp before the Cairns games, for fear of a possible Covid-19 epidemic among them.
And that was after an official suspected he might have contracted Covid-19, but the Australian Olympic Committee confirmed on Sunday that subsequent tests came back negative.
Australian athletes have since been allowed to participate in a training event.
“What I do know is that the Australian athletics mission has been very cautious,” said David Hughes, Chief Medical Officer of the Australian Olympic Committee.
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