Covid at Olympics: 2 more players out, total infected athletes rises to 10

Czech beach volleyball player Marketa Nausch and Dutch taekwondo hope Reshmie Oogink were on Thursday forced out of the Olympic Games after testing positive for COVID-19, taking the total number of infected athletes in the city to 10.

"Marketa Nausch has passed several tests, but after an unclear result, the last PCR test from this morning was positive," the Czech National Olympic Committee stated while announcing an inquiry into the regular COVID cases being reported in their contingent.

Three athletes and a coach have so far tested positive for the virus in the Czech contingent. This is the second case of a Dutch athlete testing positive for the virus here after skateboarder Candy Jacobs.

The Netherland's Olympic Committee announced Oogink's positive test in a tweet.

"Sad news for Reshmie Oogink. Due to a positive test, she unfortunately cannot participate in the Games," the NOC posted.

Both Nausch and Oogink have been quarantined.

"The situation is serious, but we have done our utmost since the beginning of this problem to stop the spread. Unfortunately, we did not avoid sports tragedies, I am extremely sorry," said Martin Doktor, sports director of the Czech team.

The Czech Olympic committee launched an investigation into the spread of the disease on a charter flight to Tokyo.

The investigation will focus on whether safety measures against the spread of COVID-19 before, during and after the charter flight were observed and whether some individuals "neglected their duties during the trip".

The Tokyo Olympics organisers announced 12 new cases, which took the official count to 87 on Thursday.

On Wednesday, Chilean Taekwondo player Fernanda Aguirre, Jacobs and Czech TT player Pavel Sirucek were forced to withdraw from their respective events and placed in quarantine.

American beach volleyball player Taylor Crabb too tested positive for COVID-19.

Aguirre tested positive in an on-arrival test at the airport here, while Jacobs' and Sirucek's results were revealed at the Games village.

Tokyo city also touched a six-month high in its daily case count, reporting 1979 new infections a day before the Games opening ceremony.