Team GB stars may have to quarantine in a hotel on arrival at Tokyo 2020 amid concerns over the Delta variant as Olympics organisers unveil final ‘playbook’ of rules to control spread of coronavirus during the Games
- Team GB stars may have to quarantine in a hotel when they get to Tokyo 2020
- The UK was put on Japan’s red list due to rising cases of the Delta variant
- Organisers have revealed the third and final ‘playbook’ of rules to control Covid-1
- Athletes from countries with a variant of concern may have to quarantine
- Find out the latest Tokyo Olympic news including schedule, medal table and results right here.
Team GB athletes face the threat of having to quarantine in a hotel for six days when they arrive in Japan in a move which would throw the British Olympic Association’s travel plans into chaos.
On Tuesday Tokyo 2020 organisers revealed the third and final ‘playbook’ of rules to control Covid-19 during the Games, which begin on July 23.
And they revealed that participants from countries where a variant of concern is spreading may have to quarantine before the Olympics start and they would not even be allowed outside to train.
The United Kingdom was last week added on to Japan’s red list until at least July 1 because of rising cases of the Delta variant.
It was assumed athletes would be exempt from the rules but, responding to a question about British participants, Tokyo 2020 spokesperson Masa Takaya said: ‘Quarantine for six days is required for some countries where the same treatment will be imposed to athletes and media.’
Operations chief Hidemasa Nakamura added: ‘This is for countries with the variants – we wanted to make sure we have a counter-measure with variants.
‘Now the Japanese government and the IOC and IPC are currently in ongoing discussions about what our counter-measures will be during the Games.
Team GB athletes may have to quarantine in a hotel for six days when they arrive in Japan
Tokyo 2020 organisers revealed the third and final ‘playbook’ of rules to control Covid-19
‘Our perspective is that we have to make it absolutely a safe Games because they will come to Japan to compete, and we want to make sure the process is not too impactful for them performing.
‘So these are the things that we are looking at. We are still in the process of discussing. We will be more than happen to share the result once we draw conclusions.’
In a bid to avoid any such strict quarantine measures, the BOA wrote to Olympic organisers last week promising they were doing everything they could get their entire delegation fully vaccinated before they departed for Japan.
They also pledged to implement their own ‘rigorous testing and isolation programme’ for the final 14 days before they fly, which goes over and above the rules set by Tokyo 2020.
This was acknowledged by IOC executive director Christophe Dubi, who said: ‘Those countries that are affected by the variants, they have made a pledge that was sent to Tokyo 2020 and the IOC, whereby they will take extra measures on their side.
‘They will ensure that a maximum number of their people are vaccinated. This is the case for example for India where we have received information that 100 per cent of their delegation, including the 66 media representatives, will be vaccinated.
‘And the same goes for the other countries. If there is a problem, of course we will follow the rule as established by the authorities, but we can do more, and this is what these delegations have pledged to do.’
The third edition of the playbook states: ‘Border measures may be strengthened upon entry to Japan in relation to the handling of Covid-19 variants of concern.
‘The Government of Japan may implement additional restrictions, for Games participants from designated countries.’
Participants from countries where a variant of concern is spreading may have to quarantine
Share this article
Source: Read Full Article
