Athletes stay calm despite virus cases

AUSTRALIA has no idea where the three athletes who have tested positive for Covid-19 in the Olympic Village are isolating, chef de mission Ian Chesterman said.

Two South African footballers and a Czech beach volleyballer are in isolation in their rooms after testing positive in recent days at the highrise athletes’ village in Tokyo.

But Chesterman said Australia was not planning any changes to its Covid-safe protocols, which already required Australian athletes to keep their distance from other countries’ athletes and officials within the village.

“It’s really a great village because it is compact,’’ he said.

“We are all located in highrise buildings, well spaced.

“We do have the South African team in a building near us but also even within the South African team they will have athletes in different places. We are not aware that the athletes involved in any particular sport are in any particular building.’’

Twenty-one South African football players have now been deemed close contacts of their infected teammates, but Chesterman said football teams had their own buildings, and many were located all over Japan.

“We have no idea at the moment where any of the positive tests are because there’s a range of possibilities,’’ he said.

Japan’s government is tracking the movements of the 90,000 Olympic Games-related visitors, using GPS on their smartphones so their exact location is known.

Local media reports say 67 Games-related people have now tested positive to Covid-19, including the three athletes in the village, and another US gymnast who is housed elsewhere.

Chesterman said Australian athletes just needed to stick to their Covid-safe protocols, with regular handwashing, daily testing, mask-wearing, and maintaining social distancing from other countries’ athletes and officials.

“The athletes are really calm. They’ve been well prepared for … a Covid case within the village,’’ he said.