Tokyo Olympics: Uganda team member tests positive for COVID

By Team Newsable | First Published Jun 20, 2021, 1:49 PM IST

The Tokyo Olympics is set to get underway in just over a month, while the organisers are trying hard to get things ready amidst the pandemic. In the meantime, a member form the Uganda Olympics team has tested positive for COVID-19.

In what comes as news of concern for the Uganda contingent for the Tokyo Olympics, a team member has tested positive for COVID-19. Consequently, he has been barred entry to Japan until further notice, while he happens to be the first arriving athlete to test positive.

The eight-member team from Uganda arrived on Sunday in Tokyo and underwent the mandatory on-arrival COVID test, during which one of the members was found to be positive. As for the other seven members, their reports came clean and were sent to the host city Osaka through a chartered bus, reports AP.

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However, confusion seems to lurk regarding the athlete’s positive test. According to the Asahi newspaper, which quoted Cabinet Secretariat official, all the eight athletes were totally vaccinated with AstraZeneca jabs. In contrast, they had tested negative before departure.

Uganda is the second team after the Australian women’s softball team to arrive in Tokyo. The African nation has seen an alarming rise in the COVID cases, introducing lockdown measures, with 590 death reports.

ALSO READ: Japan could allow up to 10,000 spectators in pre-Olympic events

Meanwhile, concerns continue to surround the safety of organising the Games amidst the raging pandemic, as new waves keep coming in. Nonetheless, the organisers and the Japanese government have time and again expressed faith in the safe conduction of the Games.

“Let’s all wait a minute. This time, nine people arrived. For the Olympics, 100,000 people will be arriving. This is no time to be talking about how this will be a moving experience for our children,” lawmaker Rehno quoted on Twitter.

As for Japan, especially in Osaka, the daily cases still continue to be over a hundred. However, the state of emergency ends on Sunday. Although there have been no strict lockdowns in the nation, the vaccination drive, too, happens to be pretty slow, with only six per cent of the population being vaccinated so far. Nevertheless, the drive is expected to pick up as the date to Olympics draws closer.

NOTE: Asianet News humbly requests everyone to wear masks, sanitise, maintain social distancing and get vaccinated as soon as eligible. Together we can and will break the chain #ANCares #IndiaFightsCorona

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