Uganda sees first virus case among arriving Olympic teams in Tokyo

Tokyo (dpa), 20 June, 2021- A first coronavirus case among arriving athletes has been registered in Tokyo, a month before the start of the Olympic Games.

The Japanese government announced on Sunday that a member of the Olympic team from Uganda tested positive on arrival at Narita International Airport and was prevented from leaving the building.

The remaining eight delegation members travelled by bus to their host city of Izumisano in the western Osaka Prefecture.

The team from Uganda, which is competing in the boxing, weightlifting and swimming events, is the second group from abroad after the women’s softball team from Australia to arrive for the Games.

The unnamed athlete from Uganda was vaccinated as were team mates. The athlete submitted a negative test certificate within 72 hours before leaving for Japan as required, Japan’s Kyodo news agency reported.

The mayor of Izumisano, Hiroyasu Chiyomatsu, said the remaining eight team members who had travelled to Japan would be asked not to train for the time being and to be tested daily for 
the coronavirus.