The virus hoovers over the games like an army of drones. As of July 26, 2021, the total number of COVID-19 cases reported at the Olympics is 137. Daily new cases that have been reported in the Tokyo area now stand at 1,763, an increase in the rolling 7-day average of 146.5%.
Over 100 United States athletes are unvaccinated. Two American athletes, beach volleyball player Taylor Crabb and Kara Eaker, an alternate on the gymnastics team, are known to have tested positive.
American swimmer, Michael Andrew, decided to not get vaccinated because it would have been an inconvenience to his workout regimen. “As an athlete on the elite level, everything we do is very calculated and understood. For me, in the training cycle, especially leading up to trials, I didn’t want to risk any days out. There were periods where you take a vaccine, you have to deal with some days off.” He said. He has no plans to be vaccinated in the future.
The Olympic committee does not require athletes to be vaccinated. Only 13% of Japans population is vaccinated.
Six members of the Czech Olympic team tested positive. Czech, Marketa Nausch-Slukova and beach volleyball partner Barbora Hermannova tested positive, forcing them to pull out. Belgium’s Jelle Geens will miss the Olympics men’s individual triathlon on July 26, 2021 after testing positive. German cyclist Simon Geschke tested positive and has pulled out of July 24, 2021 road race. Dutch rower Finn Florijn tested positive and will no longer compete. Nausch-Slukova was the third athlete in the Czech delegation to be found to have contracted the virus. Dutch skateboarder Candy Jacobs said she tested positive.
A Chilean female taekwondo player plans to withdraw from the Games after testing positive. 18 people in the South African soccer delegation have been categorized as close contacts, following positive test results for two of their soccer players. An alternate on the U.S. women’s gymnastics team tested positive and another alternate is a close contact. They remain at the team’s training camp east of Tokyo. Two South African male soccer players staying at the athletes’ village, tested positive. Eight athletes from the Kenya women’s rugby team were classified as close contacts after a positive coronavirus case was found on their flight to Tokyo. An Israeli athlete tested positive. A member of Serbia’s rowing team tested positive on arrival. The other four team members are isolated as close contacts. A Ugandan athlete tested positive. Cases will continue to escalate.