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Senior lecturer: Olympics going ahead 'wasn't the right call'

Author
Newstalk ZB / AP,
Publish Date
Mon, 19 Jul 2021, 7:58AM
The opening ceremony for the Tokyo Olympics begins on Friday. (Photo / Getty)
The opening ceremony for the Tokyo Olympics begins on Friday. (Photo / Getty)

Senior lecturer: Olympics going ahead 'wasn't the right call'

Author
Newstalk ZB / AP,
Publish Date
Mon, 19 Jul 2021, 7:58AM

Two athletes living in the Olympic Village have tested positive for Covid-19, the first to do so with the Tokyo Games opening on Friday.

Organisers confirmed the positive tests on Sunday and both were listed as "non-Japanese". No names or other details were provided.

Organisers on Sunday also said another athlete had tested positive but this person was not residing in the Olympic Village. This athlete was also identified as "non-Japanese".

Organisers say since July 1, 55 people linked to the Olympics have reported positive tests. This accounting does include athletes or others who may have arrived for training camps but are not yet under the "jurisdiction" of the organising committee.

The Olympic Village on Tokyo Bay will house 11,000 Olympic athletes and thousands of other support staff.

Tokyo recorded 1,410 new Covid-19 cases on Saturday, the highest in six months. It was the 28th straight day that cases were higher than seven days previous.

The Olympics will open on Friday under a state of emergency in Tokyo and three neighbouring prefectures. The emergency order lasts until August 22. The Olympics close on August 8.

Fans — local and fans from abroad — have been banned for all Olympic events in Tokyo and the three neighbouring prefectures.

A few outlying venues may allow a smattering of local fans.

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