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Tokyo 2020

Covid-19 hits Tokyo Olympics torchrelay team

A total of six people who worked in the Tokyo Olympics Torch Relay in Japan have tested positive for the deadly coronavirus

Torch relay in Tokyo Olympics (Source: AlJazeera)
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Torch relay in Tokyo Olympics (Source: AlJazeera)

By

Abhijit Nair

Updated: 2 May 2021 7:21 AM GMT

According to reports, a total of six people who worked in the Tokyo Olympics Torch Relay in Japan have tested positive for the deadly coronavirus, bringing the total count of staffers to have contracted the virus to eight.

All the six people who have been diagnosed with the virus helped the organisers in traffic control. While three of the six people who have tested positive are based in the city of Kirishima, the other three are natives of Amami.

This comes after two people including a police officer who assisted the torch relay in the southern island of Shikoku were tested positive last month.

The Tokyo Olympics which was supposed to happen in the year 2020 was delayed by almost a year to 2021 due to the covid-19 pandemic engulfing the world last year. While the health situation has improved in quite a few parts of the world, the same cannot be said about Japan.

The country had declared a state of health emergency in cities Tokyo, Osaka, and two other areas until 11th May 2021 last month due to a steep surge in infections.

While even though a majority of the Japanese population are allegedly against the idea of holding the Olympics in the country under such circumstances, the Japanese government, and the Tokyo organisers have maintained that the Olympics will go ahead as planned from 23rd July to 8th August, albeit without any fans from foreign countries.


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