The Summer Olympic Games have grown from simply being an international sports event to become a global phenomenon. What was earlier an event that saw the culmination of distinguished sportspersons has now become a beacon of opportunity for host countries to globally promote the tourism offerings of the country and ends up being a major source of revenue for them.
Tokyo Olympics COVID-19 Strict Rules
The most recent edition of the Summer Olympics, dubbed the Tokyo Olympics 2020, was postponed from its original schedule owing to the COVID-19 pandemic and is now scheduled to take place from July 23 to August 8, 2021, in the absence of an audience. With the athletes arriving running the risk of infection, the organizers have put into place a strict set of guidelines and protocols to ensure the safety of the athletes and the smooth progression of the event.
Mandatory Testing of Athletes
Athletes would have to take two RT-PCR tests on separate days 96 hours prior to their travel, followed by an antigen test upon arrival in Tokyo. If found positive, the athletes would be taken to a separate facility. This would be followed by another test 72 hours before heading to the Olympic village, and daily tests during the course of the games.
Countries would also be divided into two groups based on risk. Officials from Group 1 countries, which are high-risk countries, would be tested every day for 7 days pre and post their arrival, whereas the same would be applicable to Group 2 countries for a period of 3 days. If any of the participating athletes or teams test positive during the course of the game, they would be marked as DNS (Did Not Start) and not disqualified.
Quarantine and Vaccination Requirements
The guidelines encourage that the delegations be vaccinated, but do not classify it to be a mandate. The same is applicable to all support staff who are to be part of the event. All athletes and officials would be required to undergo a compulsory three-day quarantine upon their arrival. Post this, they would be permitted to train if tested negative every day, unless they are from a high-risk country.
Rules Regarding Audience
While there was talk about permitting audience presence in limited percentages for a brief period, it was ultimately decided at the behest of the games’ President Seiko Hashimoto that spectators would be barred from being present at the venue.
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