The Tokyo Olympics is just four sleeps away, and it is set to be a Games like no other.

New Zealand is sending its biggest ever team with 211 athletes attending, but they enter a country struggling to cope with the Covid-19 pandemic.

On Sunday it was confirmed two athletes living in the Olympic Village had tested positive for the virus, the first to do so with the event opening on Friday.

Organisers confirmed the positive tests were listed as "non-Japanese".

New Zealand team chef de mission Rob Waddell - who also won gold in the rowing single sculls in 2000 - told Mike Yardley there is a level of concern from the latest cases in the Olympic village.

"[It's] interesting the range of reactions throughout some of the different nations, those that have probably got more used to this it's sort of no big deal really. We had anticipated that Covid might come into the village, we're certainly watching it very closely and we're mindful of the health and wellbeing of our team.

"It's a concern, but we're certainly sticking to our processes and making sure that our team is really safe and we'll keep sticking in the bubble.

Waddell says he's been impressed with the IOC and the organising committee, who have been open and transparent, and have worked hard to find solutions.

"We're hugely mindful of the Japanese public and the privilege we've got of coming to Japan when they do have this going on.

"Amongst all nations, you can sense there's appreciation there and a commitment to doing the very best thing, not only for performance but for the Japanese public as well."

Waddell adds they are taking the Covid situation very seriously.

"The performance implications are just so vast. If you do get Covid that is effectively the end of your games. So we think it's worth being pretty strong on that and going to one end of the spectrum to protect the team."

Organisers say since July 1, 55 people linked to the Olympics have reported positive tests.