US Olympics gymnast tests positive for COVID-19 in Japan

The athlete was training in the city of Inzai, Chiba Prefecture ahead of the opening of the Games, reported ANI. The name of the athlete has not been disclosed. However, it is being reported that she is a teenager.

The USOPC did not say if Olympic champion Simone Biles or any of the other favourites to win the team gold were isolated because of contact tracing. The positive test was the latest in a growing line of daily reports of athletes and others testing positive at the pandemic-delayed Olympics.

The unnamed gymnast was the first American. The U.S. alternates are Kara Eaker and Leann Wong. "The health and safety of our athletes, coaches and staff is our top priority. We can confirm that an alternate on the women's artistic gymnastics team tested positive for COVID-19," the USOPC statement said.

"In alignment with local rules and protocols, the athlete has been transferred to a hotel to quarantine. Out of respect for the individual's privacy, we cannot provide more information at this time."

The U.S. officials said the test took place when the team was training just outside Tokyo in Inzai City. Team members arrived last week for the camp to great fanfare at Narita airport.

Earlier on Monday, the Czech Republic's beach volleyball player Ondrej Perusic was tested COVID-19 positive in the Tokyo Olympics Games Village. This was the second case in the Czech team after an official was revealed to be COVID positive (by a test) after the contingent's arrival at the airport.

On Sunday, eight members of Great Britain's Olympic team entered isolation after coming into contact with a COVID-19 positive person on their flight to the Tokyo Games. The six athletes and two members of support staff had tested negative before departing for Tokyo and upon arrival, but now they have identified as a close contact of an infected person who was with them on the flight, reported Sky News.
However, the member who has tested positive for COVID-19 is not a member of Team Great Britain, clarified the British Olympic Association.

Three members of South Africa's men's under-23 football team have also tested positive for COVID-19 and are currently in isolation in the Tokyo 2020 facility. The three members to test positive for COVID-19 are -- Thabiso Monyane (player), Kamohelo Mahlatsi (player), and video analyst Mario Masha. These three returned positive results in the latest round of daily sputum (saliva) testing.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government on Monday reported 727 new cases in the capital. It is the 30th straight day that cases were higher than the previous week. The cases last Monday were 502.