As the athletes around the globe prepare to head to Tokyo to compete in the world’s biggest athletic competition, citizens of Tokyo gather asking authorities to call the games off. As we previously reported, Tokyo has recently experienced a surge in COVID cases, and it looks like the virus has infiltrated Olympic grounds.
According to TMZ, an Olympic Village staffer tested positive for the virus on Friday and organizers reveal they are under “pressure” in regards to how the Olympic games will proceed. Organizers reportedly note the staffer is not a resident of Japan and their job is only described as “games-concerned personnel”.
Nevertheless, protestors have gathered outside the Olympic Village, demanding the Olympics be cancelled. As we previously reported, Tokyo is currently under a state of emergency, which prompted the Japanese Olympic Committee to ban spectators from the event.
“A very heavy judgement was made,” said Seiko Hashimoto, a pillar of the committee. “There is no choice but to hold the games in a limited way.”
As for the staffer who tested positive, they have reportedly been placed on a 14-day quarantine, despite the Olympic Games starting in one week. Tokyo is expecting about 11,000 athletes from around the world to arrive for the games, and they are expected to live in the Olympic Village for the duration of the competition.
As of now, there has been no word of the games being cancelled, and White House press secretary Jen Psaki recently released a statement of faith in the health measures being taken in Tokyo.
“We’re well aware of the careful preparations, including the public health measures necessary to protect athletes, staff, and spectators, that the government and international committee has undertaken, which is why, as we said, we support the games moving forward,” she said.
The 2021 Tokyo Olympics is still set to begin on July 23rd.
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