First Covid case at Tokyo torch relay

Tokyo, April 22: Tokyo Olympics organisers said on Thursday that a policeman tested positive for Covid-19 a day after his assignment last week at the Olympic torch relay.

It is the first positive test connected to the relay since it began March 25 from northeastern Fukushima prefecture.

Organisers say the 30year-old policeman was assigned to control traffic on the April 17 leg in Kagawa prefecture. They said the officer developed symptoms and tested positive the next day. Local health authorities are investigating.

Officials say the policeman was wearing a mask and taking social-distancing precautions and other measures.

The report comes as Japan is preparing to declare a third state of emergency in western metropolitan areas around Osaka, and in Tokyo. It is expected on Friday and is being reinstated after current measures failed to slow the latest resurgence fueled by a new, more contagious variant of the virus detected earlier in Britain. Japan had 541,496 cases and 9,710 deaths as of Tuesday. These results are good by global standard but poor in Asia.