Tokyo Olympics 2020: Organisers report first case of volunteer testing positive for COVID-19

Tokyo: The Tokyo Olympic organisers on Tuesday announced the first case of a Games volunteer testing positive for COVID-19 along with seven more contractors associated with the event. Five athletes, three of them staying at the Games village, have tested positive for the virus till Monday. The volunteer who has returned a positive test is based in Iwate prefecture. The total number of Games-related COVID infections has risen to 67 with the addition of nine more cases to the official list. The showpiece opens on 23 July and will go on till 8 August. Games volunteers are directly involved in assisting its operations before, during and after the event. They play an active role in helping create the excitement among fans and assist athletes in managing logistics. With seven added to the list on Tuesday, the total number of infected contractors associated with the Games has gone up to 36. On Monday, Czech beach volleyball player Ondrej Perusic became the third athlete at the Olympic Games Village to test positive for COVID-19, while an American alternate woman gymnast training in Chiba prefecture also got infected. This came after South African footballers Thabiso Monyane and Kamohelo Mahlatsi and video analyst Mario Masha tested positive for the virus on Sunday. The Games will be held behind closed doors amid tight health safety protocols to try and ensure that they do not end up being a super spreader event as is being widely feared.