Olympic athlete, staff member test positive for COVID-19

by Olafimihan Oshin - 07/15/21 2:35 PM ET

Clive Rose/Getty Images
The Olympic rings are illuminated for the first time to mark 6 months to go to the Olympic games at Odaiba Marine Park on Jan. 24, 2020 in Tokyo, Japan.

An Olympic athlete and staff member tied to the games have tested positive for COVID-19, organizers announced Thursday.

The participating athlete and the staffer, who was classified as “games-concerned personnel,” tested positive for the virus one day apart, and both were placed into a two-week quarantine.

The local Tokyo organizing committee said that the two people were among six new positive cases, including four local contractors.

The announcement came a day after officials said members of the Olympic refugee team would be delayed in their arrival to Tokyo due to a vaccinated staff member testing positive for the virus.

Japan’s government announced last week that spectators will be banned from attending the events.

Host city Tokyo reported 1,308 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, making it the highest daily total for the city since late January, The Associated Press reported.

It is unclear whether the unidentified Olympic athlete will miss their event, the AP noted.

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics are set to begin on July 23.

Tags COVID-19 Japan Summer Olympics Tokyo Tokyo Olympics 2020