[Tokyo Olympics D-4] Surge in COVID-19 Positive Athletes... 68% of Japanese Public Say "Safe Olympics is Difficult"

Two Athletes at Training Center Confirmed Positive
US Tennis Player Disqualified Due to COVID-19
Australia's ABC: "If This Continues, Daily Cases May Exceed 2,400 by Closing Ceremony"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] Four days before the opening of the Tokyo Olympics, COVID-19 cases are rapidly increasing among Olympic officials. Following the first confirmed case among athletes who entered the Olympic Village the previous day, there has even been an athlete stripped of their Olympic qualification due to COVID-19 infection. Doubts are growing regarding the "safe and secure Games" emphasized by Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide.

On the 18th (local time), according to major foreign media such as The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and Bloomberg News, American tennis player Coco Gauff tested positive for COVID-19 and was stripped of her Tokyo Olympic qualification.

Gauff wrote on Twitter that day, "Representing the United States at the Olympics has always been a dream," adding, "I am very disappointed that I cannot participate in the Tokyo Olympics due to COVID-19."

With COVID-19 cases surging among Tokyo Olympic athletes and officials, the Games, just four days away, are facing an emergency. On the 18th, two athletes staying in the Tokyo Olympic Village tested positive for COVID-19. Following the identification of the first confirmed case among Village residents who arrived from abroad the previous day, two additional athletes tested positive. Additionally, Yoo Seung-min, an Olympic table tennis gold medalist and athlete representative, became the first International Olympic Committee member to test positive at the airport and was quarantined.

The Tokyo Olympic Organizing Committee announced that the daily number of confirmed COVID-19 cases among Olympic participants totaled 10: five officials, two media personnel, two athletes, and one staff member contracted by the organizing committee. Since the 1st of this month, the total number of COVID-19 cases related to the Olympics has risen to 55.

Meanwhile, the British Olympic Association (BOA) revealed that eight individuals?six athletes and two support staff?who had close contact with confirmed COVID-19 cases are currently self-isolating. The specific sports and identities were not disclosed.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Accordingly, the "safe and secure Games" emphasized by Prime Minister Suga are also facing a red light. According to a public opinion poll conducted via telephone by Asahi Shimbun over two days from the 17th to 18th regarding the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, 55% opposed holding the Games, while 33% supported it. Furthermore, 68% responded that a "safe and secure Games" as emphasized by Prime Minister Suga is not possible, whereas only 21% believed it was achievable. Support for the Suga Cabinet dropped by 3 percentage points in one month, falling to 31%.

The New York Times (NYT) pointed out, "In recent days, infections among athletes and officials have raised concerns," adding, "Only about 20% of Japan's population has been vaccinated, which is extremely low compared to Western countries."

BBC also reported, "Although surveys show that over 80% of the Japanese population want the Games to be postponed or canceled, only the IOC can decide to halt the event."

Australia's ABC broadcast expressed concern, stating, "Tokyo is in trouble ahead of the Olympic opening," warning, "If the current trend continues, the number of daily confirmed cases in Tokyo will exceed 2,400 by the closing ceremony on August 8."

Meanwhile, on the 18th, Tokyo alone recorded 1,008 new COVID-19 cases, marking five consecutive days with over 1,000 new cases. Nationwide, Japan reported a total of approximately 3,100 new cases.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.