Olympics-Tokyo daily COVID-19 infections hit record high (updated)
31/07/2021 09:47
(Adds Kyodo report on identities of those who lost
accreditation)
TOKYO, July 31 (Reuters) - Newly-reported COVID-19 cases in
Olympic host city Tokyo surged to a record high of 4,058 on
Saturday, the metropolitan government said, exceeding 4,000 for
the first time and overshadowing the Games.
Nationwide cases totalled 12,341 as of 6:30 p.m. local time,
public broadcaster NHK said, the highest ever for Japan and up
15% on the day, underscoring a rapid rise in infections across
the country.
The new records come a day after Japan decided to extend
states of emergency to three prefectures near Olympic host Tokyo
and the western prefecture of Osaka its state of emergency for
Tokyo to the end of August and expand it to three prefectures
near Tokyo and the western prefecture of Osaka in light of the
recent spike in infections.
Amid intensifying concerns, Olympics organisers said on
Saturday they had revoked accreditation of a Games-related
person or people for leaving the athletes' village for
sightseeing, a violation of measures imposed to hold the
Olympics safely amid the pandemic. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL4N2P70A8
The organisers did not disclose how many people had their
accreditation revoked or if the person or people involved were
athletes, but Kyodo news agency reported it was two male judokas
from Georgia who had their accreditation revoked.
Kyodo cited a spokesperson for Georgia's Olympic committee
as saying that silver medalists Vazha Margvelashvili and Lasha
Shavdatuashvili had their accreditation stripped after leaving
the village to go sightseeing.
Officials of Georgia's Olympic committee were not
immediately available for comment.
There was a media report in Japan that the two had been
witnessed near Tokyo Tower, a popular tourist destination, on
Tuesday night. Margvelashvili won his silver on Sunday, and
Shavdatuashvili on Monday.
"We took away accreditation as we believe going out of the
athletes' village for sightseeing is something that should not
happen," Tokyo 2020 spokesperson Masa Takaya told a daily
briefing.
This is the first time accreditation has been revoked since
the start of the Tokyo Olympics on July 23. Without it, a person
cannot enter any Olympic facilities.
Residents of the athletes' village are not allowed to go out
for non-Games related purposes, such as sightseeing.
(Reporting by Kiyoshi Takenaka and Makiko Yamazaki; Editing by
Stephen Coates/Ed Osmond/Ken Ferris/Christina Fincher)
((kiyoshi.takenaka@thomsonreuters.com; +81 3 4563 2788;))