Athletes to be tested daily for coronavirus at Tokyo Olympics
Athletes at the delayed Tokyo Olympic Games this summer will need to take daily coronavirus tests, a stricter requirement than previously announced, Bloomberg reports.
All participants are also required to take two Covid-19 tests before flying to Japan, according to the updated “Playbook” of anti-virus measures released Wednesday. The document was prepared by the Tokyo Organizing Committee, the International Olympic Committee and the International Paralympic Committee.
If athletes violate the guidelines, a disciplinary commission will take appropriate measures though there is no precise process yet, IOC Executive Director Christophe Dubi said at a press conference. Vaccination of athletes will remain non-obligatory as accessibility and priority differ from country to country, and doesn’t offer 100% protection, he said.
Scrutiny over hosting the world’s biggest sporting event during a pandemic has increased in recent weeks. Over 10,000 athletes and more than 50,000 others are expected to gather, even after foreign spectators have been banned. Experts fear that inadequate infection measures could lead to a superspreader event.
Tokyo and other urban areas entered their third state of emergency this month as infections rose, partially due to the spread of new virus variants. Covid-19 vaccinations have started on the island nation, but are moving at a slow pace, with less than 2% of the population inoculated.
The new guidelines have been “reviewed and significantly updated in order to address the emergence of new mutant coronavirus,” according to a joint statement on the updated playbook released following a five-party meeting, including Tokyo 2020 and the IOC.
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