Sunday July 18 2021: Tokyo reported 1008 new cases of COVID-19 today. It’s the fifth day in a row with more than one thousand cases. [1] It’s five days till the Opening Ceremony of the 2020-in-2021 Tokyo Olympic Games.
At least three people inside the Olympic Village have tested positive to date, with the South African mens football team reported in isolation. [2]
And one IOC member, Athens table tennis gold medallist Ryu Seung-min, has also tested positive for COVID, although to be fair he has been double vaccinated and is asymptomatic.[3]
The players and officials will be in one giant bubble to keep the Japanese people safe and vice versa. But will that be enough to stop the Games from becoming Super Spreader Central?
With the lack of spectators comes the news that Fake Noise will be the order of the day. There will also be “cheer maps” to show how many people are tuned in from each country. [4]
IOC President Thomas Bach has told us these will be “the most followed Games in Olympic History”.[5]
It’s a pity Juan Antonio Samaranch is no longer with us, for he would reassure us that Tokyo 2020 would be The Best Games Ever.
References:
[1] Tokyo reports over 1,000 COVID-19 cases for fifth day in a row. (2021). Retrieved 18 July 2021, from https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/07/18/national/japan-coronavirus-july-18/
[2] South African footballers in Olympic Village test positive for COVID-19. (1626). Retrieved 18 July 2021, from https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1110342/two-positive-tests-athletes-tokyo-covid
[3] South Korean IOC member Ryu tests positive for COVID-19. (2021). Retrieved 18 July 2021, from https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/south-korean-ioc-member-ryu-tests-positive-covid-19-2021-07-18/
[4] Tokyo 2020 using piped-in crowd noise in absence of fans. (1626). Retrieved 18 July 2021, from https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1110325/tokyo-2020-using-piped-in-crowd-noise