Tokyo 2020 organizers confirm 1st positive COVID-19 case in athletes' village

Tokyo 2020 staff on duty at the fever clinic entrance in the Olympic Village, June 20, 2021. (Xinhua/Wang Zijiang)

The first case of COVID-19 has been detected in the Olympic village in Tokyo.

TOKYO, July 17 (Xinhua) -- The first positive COVID-19 case has been identified in the athletes' village of Tokyo 2020, organizers confirmed here on Saturday.

The infected person, who received a negative result at the airport but tested positive during the screening test in the village on Friday, is now isolated in a hotel, Tokyo 2020 CEO Toshiro Muto told a press conference.

The organizers refused to disclose the nationality of the person, citing privacy concerns, adding that they did not know if the person had been vaccinated or not.

Tokyo 2020 president Seiko Hashimoto repeatedly emphasized that the organizing committee is "doing everything we can" to avoid an outbreak in the village, and "will have a plan in place" if it does happen. She expressed understanding that athletes that have yet to arrive in Tokyo are worried about the situation, calling on everyone to follow the rules which require athletes to be tested on a daily basis.

A total of 15 positives cases were confirmed among Olympic- and Paralympic-related people on Friday, bringing the number up to 45 since July 1.