Participants of Tokyo 2020 are the most controlled population: Games Operations Director
Jul 18, 2021
Tokyo [Japan], July 18 : International Olympic Committee (IOC) Olympic Games Operations Director, Pierre Ducrey has stated that the participants of the Tokyo Olympic Games are the most controlled population in the world.
"Since July 1, 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," Pierre said while addressing the media on Sunday.
"The participants of the Olympic Games are the most controlled population in the world," he added.
IOC Olympic Games Executive Director, Christophe Dubi then said that the COVID-19 case in Tokyo Olympics will not be just data in a spreadsheet but will lead to action, including immediate follow-up testing.
"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 spreadsheet but leads to action, including immediate follow-up testing. 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.
There is a separation of populations among the Games participants and Japanese people. "Mingling and crossing of populations is very limited. We keep the risk to an absolute minimum level," Christophe Dubi pointed.
Heatstroke will be the biggest weather-related threat to participants in Tokyo 2020. Notably, Tokyo Olympics will be the hottest Games in history and that's why certain measures have already been taken by the organising committee in this regard. Dubi said: "The issue[Heatstroke] was identified very clearly and we will be able to deliver these[Games]."
Last year, the IOC already acknowledged the issue of Tokyo's heat and moved the marathon and race walk events to the cooler northern city of Sapporo.
