Tokyo Olympics: Organisers Report First Covid Positive Case In Torch Relay

It is the first time an official has been detected positive since the relay began on March 25 from northeastern Fukushima prefecture,

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The much delayed Tokyo Olympics event has once hit the hurdle after a policeman tested positive for Covid-19 a day last week at the Olympic torch relay.

As per the organizers, the 30-year-old policeman was controlling traffic on the April 17 leg in southwestern Kagawa prefecture. The news agency AP reported the officer developed symptoms and tested positive the next day. 

Meanwhile, the local health authorities are still investigating the incident.

The policeman is said to be wearing a mask and taking social-distancing precautions and other measures.

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Since the relay began on March 25 from northeastern Fukushima prefecture, it is the first time that an official has been detected positive.

This incident comes amid Japan aiming to declare the third state of emergency in western metropolitan areas around Osaka, and in Tokyo. As per the news agency, the move is expected to be effective from Friday and will be enformed in view of the current measures not able to restrain the latest resurgence.

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics were postponed to this summer and are due to start on July 23. Japan had reported 541,496 cases and 9,710 deaths as on Tuesday. In absence of any compulsory lockdowns, people in Japan are not observing strict compliance with preventive measures. With an aim to keep the coronavirus away from participants and officials, precautions are being taken and that the case will not affect the subsequent legs of the torch events.

The torch relay comprises 10,000 runners who cross through Japan for almost four-month and ends with their arrival at the National Stadium on July 23 to kick off the scheduled opening ceremony. In the pandemic situation, legs last week were run in a city park in Osaka and taken off the public streets. Something similar is expected for some legs on May 1-2 on the southern island of Okinawa. 

Meanwhile, international Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach is confident that a “big number” of participants at the Tokyo Olympics this year will be vaccinated against Covid-19. “I think we can already say now that a big number of participants living in the Olympic village will be vaccinated for their own safety and solidarity with the Japanese population,” Bach told a news conference following an IOC executive board meeting on Wednesday.

It is the first positive test connected to the relay since it began March 25 from northeastern Fukushima prefecture.