Tokyo Olympics: 5 big developments from Covid-hit Tokyo Games

Tokyo Olympics: With just 9 days to go, Tokyo is bracing for a huge influx in COVID-19 cases in the capital. As athletes and support staff from across the world come together for the Tokyo Olympics, on Wednesday, Tokyo announced 1,149 fresh new cases, the highest daily cases in six months since January 22. The infection has been spread mostly highly infectious Delta variant and low vaccination rate in the country. Furthermore, people across the world have started losing interest due to high-profile pull-outs including Roger Federer.

InsideSport takes a look at the big developments of the week that have rattled the Japanese government as the Covid scare increases.

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Highest daily Covid cases: While the IOC and JOC have assured foreign athletes that all necessary measures are being taken from daily testing to imposing strict restrictions on movements, many are still scared. The dominant Delta variant is already increasing Tokyo residents’ pulse rate as the city recorded a total of 1,149 new cases on Wednesday, the highest daily in the last six months since January 22.

Tokyo Olympics: Brazil Olympic team’s hotel declared cluster: While four athletes from Uganda, Serbia and Lithuania had already tested positive, the hotel Brazil Olympic team are staying has been declared a cluster with multiple cases detected from the hotel. A total of 31 of Brazil’s Olympic athletes are currently in the hotel where seven staff members tested positive. But no athletes have tested positive so far as they are staying in a bio-bubble. However, since the hotel staff members have tested positive, it has only increased concerns as experts believe the bio-bubbles will not be as tight as required due to the movement of staff members.

Also Read: Tokyo Olympics: Days ahead of Tokyo Games, Brazil Olympic team’s hotel becomes Covid cluster

IOC refugee team official tests positive: Amongst the incoming teams and their delegates, an official in the IOC’s refugee team has tested positive. It dealt a heavy blow to their Olympic aspirations as the team didn’t yet arrive in Tokyo. The team was visiting Doha for a ‘Welcome Experience’ with 26 of 29 athletes attending.

Tokyo Olympics: “On taking COVID-19 PCR tests before leaving for Tokyo, the test of an official returned positive. A follow-up test confirmed the result, while the tests of all other members of the team (athletes and officials) returned negative,” it added.

The team has been barred from travelling to Tokyo and will continue to practice in Doha while being tested daily.

Also Read: Tokyo Olympics: After India, China slams Japan’s Covid rules, says ‘extremely difficult’

Lack of interest amongst people: While COVID dominated Japanese newspapers’ headlines, it is the lack of interest amongst people across the world, especially the Japanese that slipped past the headlines. Around 65% of Japanese are against Tokyo hosting the Olympics amid the Covid pandemic and around the world, the interest is only dropping due to mega pull-outs. Around 54% of the people surveyed by Ipsos showed no interest due to mega pull-outs.

List of withdrawals gets bigger: Swiss tennis legend Roger Federer and Belgium’s David Goffin became the latest to pull out of the Olympics. While Federer pulled out due to a knee injury that he went under the knife for last year and lost in the Wimbledon quarterfinals, Goffin is still recovering from an injury. Earlier, Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams, Nick Kyrgios amongst several others withdrew from the tournament.

“During the grass-court season, I, unfortunately, experienced a setback with my knee, and have accepted that I must withdraw from the Tokyo Olympic Games,” Roger Federer said in a statement on social media.

Olympics