Athletes may not use public transport or have contact with residents of Japan who are not involved in the event
The organizers of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games released, this Wednesday (28), the second version of the rulebook, with new measures to contain the covid-19 . The Organizing Committee confirmed that daily tests will be carried out on athletes and on all directly involved during all days of the event, and that the use of public transport will be prohibited to avoid contact with residents of the country.
The decision on the presence or not of the local public will be taken in June, about a month before the opening. The rules of the new version of the so-called Playbook are stricter than the first, which stated that athletes would be tested at least once every four days. Saliva collection will be performed to detect or not the presence of the virus.
In July, the Committee had already decided that it would ban foreign public from entering the arenas . Only the definition about the Japanese audience remains.
“We have to observe the situation and, according to it, consider the decision. At the moment, I believe that having full stands is very difficult,” said Seiko Hashimoto, president of the Organizing Committee.
Tokyo is currently among Japanese municipalities that have taken emergency measures to combat the increase in coronavirus cases, until May 11th. The Olympic Games are scheduled to start on July 23, and polls indicate strong public rejection of the event .
See the new decisions in the rulebook for the Games
- All participants must take two Covid-19 tests prior to their flight to Japan.
- In principle, athletes and all those close to them will be tested daily to minimize the risk of undetected positive cases that can transmit the virus. Dates and times will be set according to sporting events and schedule.
- All other Games participants will be tested daily for three days after their arrival. After the first three days and throughout their stay, they will be tested regularly, based on the operational nature of their role and level of contact with athletes.
- All Games participants should, in principle, only follow the activities they have outlined in their activity plan. They must minimize contact to within one meter of Games participants who have been in Japan for more than 14 days and Japanese residents.
- All participants of the Games must, in principle, exclusively use vehicles dedicated to the Games and are not authorized to use public transport.
- All Games participants must, in principle, eat only in the limited places where covid-19 countermeasures are in effect, including food facilities at the Games venues, the restaurant of their accommodations and their rooms, using room service or delivery of food.
- Close contacts are defined as those who have prolonged contact (for 15 minutes or more) with a person who has a confirmed positive covid-19 test, within one meter, without wearing a face mask. This is particularly applicable when such contact takes place in closed spaces such as hotel rooms or vehicles.
- The cases will be confirmed by the Japanese health authorities.
Lolita M. Pyron