Six athletes and two staff members from the Great Britain athletics team are self-isolating in Tokyo after being identified as close contacts of an individual who subsequently tested positive for Covid-19, the British Olympic Association has announced.
According to a statement, the individual who has tested positive is not a member of the Team GB delegation but was a close contact during their flight to Japan on Thursday, resulting in the eight team members “through no fault of their own” having to separate from the group.
The eight concerned all tested negative at the airport and have continued to test negative since.
The news is certain to adversely affect preparations for the team, the majority of which is staying in Yokohama alongside athletes from other sports including swimming, boxing and gymnastics prior to their gradual move into the Olympic Village prior to their respective competitions.
In the statement, Team GB’s Chef de Mission, Mark England, said: “This is disappointing news for the athletes and staff, but we absolutely respect the protocols in place. We will offer them every support during this period and we are hopeful that they will be able resume training again soon.”
The period of isolation is in accordance with the Tokyo 2020 Playbook protocols and the team will follow health guidelines from the Japanese government, the International Olympic Committee and TOCOG.
The news comes on the same day that two South African football players became the first to test positive for the virus within the Olympic Village.
The affected footballers, named by the South African Football Association on Sunday as Thabiso Monyane and Kamohelo Mahlatsi, were among 10 new Games-related cases announced on Sunday.
And it comes amid mounting scepticism in Tokyo – which has recorded over 1,000 new cases for the fourth straight day – over International Committee Olympic president Thomas Bach’s insistence that the risk of the Japanese public being infected with the virus by a Games participant is “zero”.
Additional reporting by PA
