Jul 7, 2021 - Sports

2 Tokyo Olympic village workers test positive for COVID

Rebecca Falconer

A jogger runs past a large Tokyo 2020 sign around the National Olympic stadium, Gaiemmae on July 3 — The National Olympic Stadium n Tokyo on July 3. Photo: Damon Coulter/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Olympic Games organizers said Tuesday two staff members working at the athletes' village in Tokyo have tested positive for COVID-19, per the Tokyo Shimbun news outlet.

Why it matters: Australia's ABC notes that the workers who tested positive last week were found to have been dining with two other staff members — a violation of the organizing committee's pandemic measures.

There are only 16 days to go until the opening ceremony.
The workers' test results come after a Serbian Olympian and an athlete and coach from Uganda's team tested positive for the virus after arriving in Japan.

The big picture: Japan's government has faced criticism for hosting the Tokyo Games as coronavirus cases rise, but organizers say they're taking precautions to ensure the event will be safe.

Among the measures they've taken is the cancellation of all public viewing sites.
Games organizers said they had taken steps to prevent a "recurrence" of the dining protocol breach, the Tokyo Shimbun reports.

Go deeper: Athletes traveling to Olympics face logistical hurdles

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2 Tokyo Olympic village workers test positive for COVID

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