COVID scare at Olympics: 3 athletes test positive for COVID-19, 2 staying at Olympic Village
Tokyo: Three athletes, two of them staying at the Olympic Village, have tested positive for COVID-19, the Games Organising Committee announced on Sunday, the development adding to the scepticism around the troubled event which opens on July 23.
It is the first instance of athletes staying at the village catching the infection. Their identities have not been revealed by the organisers. The third infected athlete is staying at a designated Games hotel.
A total of 10 cases were detected on the day, including five "Games concerned personnel", one contractor, and a journalist, according to the COVID-19 Positive Case List uploaded by the OC here.
The total number of Games-related COVID cases have now risen to 55 as per the OC records.
"When there is a positive COVID 19 case - it means action. There is a clear procedure to identify close contacts. A case is not just data in a spread sheet but leads to action, including immediate follow-up testing," International Olympic Committee's (IOC) Games Executive Director Christophe Dubi stated.
"We can safely say that 40,000 COVID 19 tests have been carried out before coming to Japan for 18,000 Games participants. Then there is the screening on the airport followed by regular screening, testing for athletes every day," he added.
The organisers did not specify whether the two infected athletes staying at the village will be quarantined elsewhere.
"Since 1 July more than 18,000 games participants arrived from overseas. All of them had at least 2 negative tests before arrival. When they arrived, they had another test. When they are here, there is a strict testing regime in place," said Pierre Ducrey, IOC Games Operations Director.
"The participants of the Olympic Games are the most controlled population in the world," he added.
The development comes a day after a non-athlete at the Village tested positive for the dreaded virus and was shifted out of the premises.
The first batch of Indian athletes for the Games left on Saturday and have arrived here this morning.
The 88-strong Indian delegation comprised, archers, the two hockey teams, table tennis players and swimmers among others.
The shooters and the boxers also landed from their respective training bases in Croatia and Italy this morning.
The Games will be held behind closed doors as infections soar in the Japanese capital, which has been recording more than 1,000 cases per day for the past few days.
Despite the scepticism, IOC President Thomas Bach has insisted that the Games pose "zero risk" for the residents of Olympic village and the Japanese people in general.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Kejriwal discharge a blow to Centre's falsehoods, says Oppn; people's verdict already out: BJP
New Delhi (PTI): The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) celebrated former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and his then deputy Manish Sisodia's discharge in the excise policy case on Friday, describing it as a vindication of constitutional values, while the BJP said the people had already given a political response on the issue.
Opposition parties said in unison that the development was a blow to the Centre's falsehoods and misuse of investigating agencies, though the Congress termed the BJP and the AAP as convenient allies.
An emotional Kejriwal broke down after the verdict and said the case against him was the "biggest political conspiracy".
"The court has proved that Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and AAP are 'kattar imaandar (honest to the core)'," he said. Sisodia said the ruling reaffirmed the public's faith in the Constitution.
The Trinamool Congress, RJD, Samajwadi Party and Left parties welcomed the verdict and said its exposed the BJP's politics of vendetta. The Congress, however, said Kejriwal's discharge was a "predictable script".
"The BJP is not a political party. It is a shape-shifter, a wishful serpent - 'Icchadhari Naag'. It will stoop to any level for one obsessive goal: defeat Congress - 'Congress Mukt Bharat'," Congress media and publicity cell head Pawan Khera said.
"For 12 years, they spewed venom at the TMC. And now? Narendra Modi himself is showering it with praise -- not out of respect, but to land a cheap blow at the Congress," Khera said in a post in Hindi on X.
"Elections are coming. So the script is predictable. Cases against Congress leaders will suddenly accelerate -- P Chidambaram has already been dragged back into the spotlight because Tamil Nadu is going to the polls. Meanwhile, proceedings against their convenient allies in the AAP and others will quietly vanish in light of the Gujarat and Punjab elections," the Congress leader said.
Congress MP Manish Tewari and party veteran Margaret Alva, however, congratulated Kejriwal on his discharge in the case and slammed the BJP's "politics of vendetta".
The BJP, on its part, said though Kejriwal was discharged for "lack of evidence", the probe agency would decide its next course of action.
BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said it was a "technical matter" and the party would come up with a "structured response" on the court's judgment after studying it.
"The people of Delhi have given him (Kejriwal) a political response on political grounds. The agency concerned will decide its next course of action on technical grounds," the Rajya Sabha MP said at a press conference at the BJP headquarters.
AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh alleged the case was part of a conspiracy to defame the party leadership and referred to the period of incarceration faced by several leaders. Former chief minister Atishi said the verdict showed how false allegations were made to target AAP leaders.
Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann said, "Truth always triumphs."
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav said the collapse of the excise policy case was a "moral death sentence" for the BJP as it had betrayed the people of Delhi.
"Today, every honest person will breathe a sigh of relief, while the BJP supporters must be writhing in deep shame," Yadav said.
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav welcomed the court order and demanded that fresh elections be held in the national capital.
"False lawsuits are being filed against opposition leaders. Arvind Kejriwal has suffered a lot due to this (case). We demand that elections be held again in Delhi," Yadav told reporters in Patna.
"It's a very good judgment. It shows that we still have hope in the judicial system. BJP leaders should apologise to the nation for continuously targeting opposition leaders," CPI-M general secretary MA Baby said.
CPI general secretary D Raja said the verdict proved that the BJP reduced federal probe agencies to "instruments of political vendetta".
"When investigative institutions are twisted into political weapons, it is not just individuals who are targeted, it is democracy itself that is put on trial. The country deserves accountability for this abuse of power," he said.
TMC MP Saket Gokhale alleged that the case was "politically motivated" and aimed at "defaming" opposition leaders.
"A fake fabricated case was filed by the BJP to defame opposition leaders who were arrested and mistreated in order to break their will and tarnish their reputation. Yet again, BJP's shameless tactic of using CBI and ED as their political tools stands exposed. The Modi-Shah Government will soon fall apart just like these fake cases," Gokhale posted on X.
Social activist and Kejriwal's former mentor, Anna Hazare said the verdict must be accepted as the judiciary was supreme. The anti-corruption campaigner advised Kejriwal to work for the society and the country and not think of himself or his party.
