A Czech Olympic team staff member has tested positive for COVID-19 after arriving in Tokyo on a charter flight from Prague, Czech Olympic officials said on Saturday, adding that all the athletes were fine and in the Olympic Village.
The staff member -- who had two negative PCR tests before departure and had no symptoms -- is now in isolation along with several close contacts from the plane, team officials said in a statement. They did not name the staff member.
"Within two hours we implemented an action plan and we prepared individual rooms for all athletes and members of the escort from the plane who arrived in the village," Martin Doktor, sports director of the Czech Olympic Committee said.
"In any case, the training activities and plans of the athletes are not limited in any way."
Earlier on Saturday, Tokyo Olympics organizers reported the first case of COVID-19 at the athletes' village, along with 14 other new cases connected to the Games that begin next week, raising fresh doubts over promises of a "safe and secure" event.A Czech Olympic team staff member has tested positive for COVID-19 after arriving in Tokyo on a charter flight from Prague, Czech Olympic officials said on Saturday, adding that all the athletes were fine and in the Olympic Village.
The staff member -- who had two negative PCR tests before departure and had no symptoms -- is now in isolation along with several close contacts from the plane, team officials said in a statement. They did not name the staff member.
"Within two hours we implemented an action plan and we prepared individual rooms for all athletes and members of the escort from the plane who arrived in the village," Martin Doktor, sports director of the Czech Olympic Committee said.
"In any case, the training activities and plans of the athletes are not limited in any way."
Earlier on Saturday, Tokyo Olympics organizers reported the first case of COVID-19 at the athletes' village, along with 14 other new cases connected to the Games that begin next week, raising fresh doubts over promises of a "safe and secure" event.
The Olympic Village on Tokyo Bay will house about 11,000 athletes during the Olympics, and thousands of other staff. International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach said this week there was "zero" risk of athletes in the village passing on the virus to Japanese or other residents of the village.
Organizers said since July 1 and as of Saturday, 45 people under their "jurisdiction" have tested positive. Only one involves a person in the village and most are identified as "contractors" for Tokyo 2020 and "games-concerned personnel." The list includes one athlete – who tested positive on July 14 – and three members of the media. Of the 45, only 12 are listed as "nonresident of Japan."
Organizers say that athletes and staff who have been away from Tokyo at training camps are excluded from this list and their accounting. Tokyo officials said they could not give an estimate of the number of people in the village as of Saturday.
New COVID-19 cases Saturday were reported at 1,410. They were 950 one week ago, and it marks the 28th straight day that cases were higher than a week previous. It was the highest single day since 1,485 on Jan. 21.
The IOC president, as he has done all week in Tokyo, again asked the Japanese to support the Olympics. Opinion polls, depending on how the question is asked, show 50-80% want the Olympics postponed again or canceled.
"We are very well aware of the skepticism, obviously that a number of people have here in Japan," Bach said Saturday in his first large briefing of the Olympics at the main press center in Tokyo. "My appeal to the Japanese people is to welcome these athletes," he urged.
Bach was asked the question about the absence of support at least twice, both times by Japanese reporters. "Even in Japan there was never 100% support for the Olympic Games or any other event. This is part of democracy," he said. "You will always have different opinions and, that such a discussion is becoming more heated and more emotional in the situation of a pandemic, is something we have to understand. Many people feel under stress," he answered.