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Positive Covid-19 case discovered in athlete’s village ahead of Olympics

A custodian takes care of plants placed to look like the Olympic rings that local high school students have helped decorate at Hibiya Park in Tokyo. Photo: AP Photo/Hiro Komae

A person has tested positive for Covid-19 at the Tokyo Olympics athletes' village, raising concerns ahead of the games which are due to begin next week.

Tokyo 2020 CEO Toshiro Muto confirmed that a visitor from abroad who is involved in organising the Games had tested positive. He would not reveal the person's nationality, citing privacy concerns.

The unnamed person tested positive during a screening test in the village, and is now confined to a hotel to quarantine.

It is not known if the person was vaccinated.

Mr Muto said competitors at the Games would be tested every day "so if someone tests positive, that person will be isolated immediately whether there are any close contacts or not".

Seiko Hashimoto, chief organiser of the Tokyo 2020 Games said organisers are ready to respond swiftly if there is a wider outbreak of the virus .

"We are doing everything to prevent any Covid outbreaks. If we end up with an outbreak we will make sure we have a plan in place to respond," she said.

The opening ceremony is due to take place in six days.

The Tokyo 2020 Olympics, postponed for a year due to the global pandemic, is being held mostly without spectators and under tight quarantine rules.


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