1st torch relay virus case reported; protest banned

TOKYO (AFP) — Tokyo Olympics organizers reported the first infection from the nationwide torch relay on Thursday, as the pandemic continues to play havoc with the massive event.

Organizers said an unnamed man in his 30s who had taken part in the relay in the western island of Shikoku had tested positive for the virus, without specifying his exact role.

They pledged to work with medical authorities to "take the precautions needed to put on a safe and secure torch relay".

It was the first reported case related to the relay, which has been forced off public roads in some areas over fears it will spread the virus.

The historic city of Kyoto is the latest to express doubts, with local media reporting that the city's government will ask to hold the event away from public roads.

The torch was carried around a closed course at a park in nearby Osaka last week, with the general public kept away.

Okinawa in southern Japan and Matsuyama city in the west of the country have also scrapped the public torch relay over rising COVID-19 cases.

Organizers insist the relay, which involves around 10,000 runners passing through all 47 prefectures, can be held safely under strict antivirus guidelines. Meanwhile, athletes will be banned from protesting on podiums and the field of play at the Tokyo Olympics and Beijing Winter Games after recommendations from the athletes' commission, the International Olympic Committee said. More than two-thirds of 3,547 athletes polled said it is "not appropriate to demonstrate or express their views" on the victory podium, field of play or at official ceremonies, the IOC said. Any repeat of Tommie Smith and John Carlos's black power salute at the Mexico 1968 Games, one of the most enduring Olympic images, could now face punishment, although possible sanctions are yet to be determined.