Although the athlete tested positive for COVID-19, the President of the International Olympic Committee praised the “peaceful” message

• Thomasbach said organizers can never imagine the “unprecedented challenge” of bringing this global sporting event to Tokyo.
• The organizers promised to guarantee the “safety and security” of the Olympic Games by limiting the Olympic “bubble” of participants’ activities.
• Since July 1, Japan has received 67 cases of COVID-19 infection.

Tokyo: The President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Thomas Bach said on Tuesday that although a large number of athletes have tested positive for the coronavirus, the Tokyo Olympics will send a powerful message of “peace and unity.”

The Olympics, which was postponed by the novel coronavirus pandemic last year, will open on Friday, but after Japan decided to leave the venues vacant earlier this month to minimize the risk of infection, there will be no spectators at the Olympics.

The country’s Baseball Federation said that two members of the Mexican Olympic baseball team tested positive for COVID-19 at the team’s hotel before heading to the Tokyo Olympics.

It said that athletes Hector Velazquez and Sammy Solis, who tested positive on July 18, have been quarantined and all team members are waiting for more test results.

After a moment of silence at the International Olympic Committee meeting attended by the Japanese prime minister, Bach said that the organizers would never imagine the “unprecedented challenge” of bringing global sports events to Tokyo.

“We can only overcome all these challenges for the Olympics because we have been enjoying a trusted partnership (with Japan) for the past eight years. We can always rely on you,” he said.

The comments made by Bach and other IOC officials on the eve of the Olympics sparked outrage on Japanese social media because they seemed to be dismissive of pandemic concerns.

With the increase in COVID-19 cases in Tokyo, the public is increasingly worried that hosting an event with tens of thousands of overseas athletes, officials, and journalists may accelerate the infection rate in the Japanese capital and introduce more infectious or lethal Variants.

Organizers promised to use the Olympic “bubble” to ensure the “safety and security” of the Olympics, restricting the movement of participants and requiring frequent testing, but experts have seen the gap.

The first major test of how to host the Olympics during the pandemic is likely to take place in the men’s football championship on Thursday, when Japan will face a South African team that may be unable to send 11 players due to the new coronavirus.

Break the “bubble”?

“Obviously, the bubble system has burst a bit,” said Kenji Shibuya, former director of the Institute of Population Health at King’s College London.

Shibuya added: “Of course, what I am most worried about is that there will be cluster infections in (athletes) villages or some accommodations and interactions with locals.”

Organizers said on Tuesday that there have been 67 cases of COVID-19 infection in Japan since many athletes and officials began arriving at the Olympics on July 1. This does not include those in the local training camp.

Japan has recorded more than 838,000 COVID-19 cases and approximately 15,000 deaths. The host city Tokyo is experiencing a new surge. As of Monday, the 7-day moving average of cases was slightly higher than 1,100.

The difficult vaccination schedule has increased people’s concerns. About one-third of Japan’s population has been vaccinated at least once, and about 22% of the population has been fully vaccinated, one of the countries with the lowest rate among the rich countries.

A few days before the opening ceremony in Tokyo, a poll conducted by the Asahi newspaper showed that 68% of the respondents expressed doubts about the Olympic organizers’ ability to control the coronavirus infection, and 55% of the respondents expressed their opposition to continuing to host the Olympics.

Bach praised the “heroic efforts” of medical staff and volunteers around the world during the pandemic, and said that canceling the Olympics was never the choice of the organizers.

“The International Olympic Committee never gives up athletes. Therefore, we made an unprecedented decision (last year) to postpone the Olympics. Today I can admit that we don’t know how complicated this will be,” he said.

The approval rating of Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has been declining since he took office in September last year. This is mainly due to his handling of the pandemic, stating that even if there are no spectators, the organizers will do everything for a safe Olympics.

“But the importance of Tokyo will not be diminished by this,” Suga Yoshihide said in a brief speech. “Now is the time to unite.”

Bach also stated that the Director-General of the World Health Organization Tedros will “share his thoughts with us in a keynote speech” in Tokyo on Wednesday.