The Summer Olympics in Tokyo is set to open on Friday night, but COVID-19 continues to be a dark cloud hovering over the Games.
Two athletes living in the Olympic Village tested positive for the virus this weekend, which were confirmed on Sunday.
According to The Associated Press, the positive cases were both from the South African men’s soccer team. The South African Football Assoication confirmed it had three positive COVID-19 cases in its delegation, which included a video analyst in addition to the two players.
The team, which is scheduled to play Japan on Thursday at Tokyo Stadium, is currently quarantined and waiting for results of further testing.
Organizers also said a third athlete had tested positive but was not residing within the Olympic Village and was identified as “non-Japanese.”
An International Olympic Committee member also tested positive on Saturday upon entering a Tokyo airport.
The IOC member, who was identified as Ryu Seung-min of South Korea — a 2004 gold medalist in table tennis — is reportedly in isolation and is asymptomatic.
Organizers say since July 1, 55 people linked to the Olympics have reported positive tests, although it does not include athletes or others who may have arrived for training camps.
Cases continue to steadily rise in Tokyo, with 1,008 new cases being reported on Sunday, marking the 29th consecutive day that cases were higher than the seven previous days.
The Olympic Village will house 11,000 athletes and thousands of support staff, but IOC president Thomas Bach said last week there was “zero” risk of athletes in the village passing on the virus to other residents.
Tokyo will open the Olympics under a state of emergency that will last until Aug. 22 — two weeks after the conclusion of the Summer Games. Fans have been banned from attending any events as well after originally planning on reduced capacity crowds.
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