Tokyo Olympics adds 3 COVID-19 cases before it begins

Less than 20 days before the start of the 2021 Olympics, international delegations began arriving in Japan with the first positive cases of Covid-19.

The most recent case is that of a Serbian athlete from the rowing team, who tested positive for an antigen upon arrival in Japan on Sunday, July 4. Added to this are two additional cases of the Ugandan delegation, who were diagnosed on June 19.

The Serbian athlete was exposed during the testing protocol at Haneda Airport and was sent to a medical center to assess his condition, while four of his teammates have been isolated at a separate facility in Tokyo.

The three positive cases occurred during the arrival of only three delegations to Japan: the delegations of Serbia, Uganda and Australia. The first Olympic athletes to test positive for COVID-19 in Japan were Africans.

This situation coincides with an increase in infections in the Japanese capital. According to Reuters reports, as of Saturday, July 3, a total of 716 new cases of infection have been reported, which is the highest increase in the past five weeks.

The fact that there were already three positives in the first three international teams to arrive in Japan has alarmed the local authorities.

“For the Olympics, 100,000 people will arrive. This is not the time to talk about how it will be an impactful experience for our children,” criticized Renho Sha, an opposition lawmaker in the Japanese Congress.