Covid watch: Total 316 cases reported at Paralympics; six in last 24 hours

Six persons related to the Paralympic Games tested positive for Covid-19 as the sportspersons, officials, administrators, and volunteers that have gathered for the Tokyo Games left for home on Monday

Six persons related to the Paralympic Games tested positive for Covid-19 as the sportspersons, officials, administrators, and volunteers that have gathered here for the Tokyo 2020 Games left for home on Monday.

The Paralympic Games concluded with the closing ceremony on Sunday.

The six persons whose tests came positive in the last 24 hours were tested by the Organising Committee for the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games (Tokyo 2020).

In all, 316 persons have tested Covid positive since testing for the Paralympic Games was started by Tokyo 2020 on August 12, four days after the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games ended. The Olympics had reported 168 positive persons during its testing period from July 1.

Of the six persons who tested positive for Covid in the last 24 hours, five were from among the Tokyo 2020 contractors while one was Games-related personnel, meaning someone related to International Paralympic Committee (IPC) or the international federations.

In the last 48 hours, 10 persons have tested positive, which hints at a higher infection rate as many of the 4,400 para-athletes and officials had left for their respective countries as their events had got over.

Of the 316 cases reported, 13 were of athletes inside the Games Village. Though the authorities continued to isolate all those that tested positive -- and also those that could have come in contact with a positive person, the fact that cases continued to be reported means that the source of infection may not be someone that had come from abroad.

The Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) will continue to monitor, with help from the respective local authorities, for the next 16 days health of all those who were in Japan in connection with the Tokyo 2020 Games.

--IANS

bsk/akm