More COVID cases reported among Olympians in Tokyo, opening ceremony still set for Friday

Vaccinated U.S. gymnast Kara Eaker, an alternate for the U.S women's gymnastics team, is among those recently testing positive.

Published: July 19, 2021 10:58am

Updated: July 19, 2021 4:09pm

A growing number of Olympic athletes are testing positive for COVID-19 after arrival in Tokyo, with the most recent case coming from the Czech Republic beach volleyball team. 

The unnamed player tested positive Monday, possibly affecting his chance at playing in the opening game. A Czech official said the team will request that the game be postponed until the infected player, who is reportedly vaccinated, has been cleared.

Vaccinated American gymnast Kara Eaker, who is an alternate for the U.S women's gymnastics team, has also recently tested positive. However, it is unlikely to affect the team's chances of gold.

Teen U.S. tennis star Coco Gauff has also tested positive and will miss the games, which officially begin Friday.

Two South African men's soccer players who are staying in the Olympic Village announced positive test results on Sunday.

Infected players in the village are being moved into an "isolation facility," and those who came in close contact with them are under watch.

Twenty-one people reportedly came in close contact with the South African players, so they must undergo daily testing, travel in a dedicated vehicle, train separately from uninfected teammates and take meals alone in their room.

"Although you are a close contact, you are able to do the minimum that you need to do so that you can continue your preparation for the games while you are being monitored,” said Pierre Ducrey, the Olympic Games operations director.

About 22,000 people have arrived in Tokyo since July 1 for the Games and 4,000 are staying in the village. The Games start on Friday with about 11,000 athletes scheduled to compete, according to the Associated Press

The games are closed to spectators.

The Facts Inside Our Reporter's Notebook

Links

Unlock unlimited access

  • No Ads Within Stories
  • No Autoplay Videos
  • VIP access to exclusive Just the News newsmaker events hosted by John Solomon and his team.
  • Support the investigative reporting and honest news presentation you've come to enjoy from Just the News.
  • Just the News Spotlight

    Support Just the News