First COVID-19 case in Tokyo Olympic Village confirmed

The Tokyo Olympics has registered its first Covid-19 case in the Olympic Village six days before the Games open, organizers said on Saturday.

Masa Takaya, a spokesman for the Tokyo organizing committee, told a press conference, “There was one person in the Village. That was the very first case in the Village that was reported during the screening test.”

The person, whom organizers refused to identify, has been removed from the Village where thousands of athletes and officials will reside during the Games.

Right now, this person is confined to a hotel, Takaya added.

Seiko Hashimoto, the chief organizer of the Tokyo 2020 Games, said, “We are doing everything to prevent any COVID-19 outbreaks. If we end up with an outbreak, we will make sure we have a plan in place to respond.”

At an Olympics that have already been postponed by a year because of the pandemic, organizers have put in place stringent measures to avoid coronavirus infections in the Village.