A member of Uganda’s Olympic team tested positive for COVID-19 upon arrival in Tokyo and was barred entry into Japan, according to a report from the Associated Press.
The unidentified team member marks the first detected infection among arriving athletes for this summer’s games, which is slated to begin in five weeks.
Prior to their departure for Japan, each member of the team was fully vaccinated with the AstraZeneca version of the COVID-19 vaccine and received negative PCR test results.
Uganda Olympic Committee President Donald Rukare told CNN that the team member who tested positive was a coach, who has no symptoms. The coach remains in a government facility. It is not yet clear whether the coach will be barred from the games or sent home.
The entire Uganda Olympic delegation, which consists of 26 athletes and 30 staff, has been fully vaccinated in preparation for the games.
The remaining eight members of the team that arrived with the coach continued on to the Izumisano city in Osaka prefecture, where athletes are being hosted. A state of emergency in Osaka ended Sunday despite the fact that cases are still being reported.
The team arrived at Tokyo’s Narita airport late Saturday night and are the second to arrive in Japan for the games after Australia’s women’s softball team arrived beforehand.
While other travelers entering Japan are required to undergo a two-week quarantine upon arrival, athletes are exempt.
There have been growing concerns both inside and outside Japan on whether or not the country is equipped to hold the games. The COVID-19 state of emergency ends today in Osaka, Tokyo, and seven other prefectures despite the fact that daily cases are continuing to rise, raising concerns about a rebound in infections.
Japan has only vaccinated around 6% of its population thus far, making it one of the slowest in vaccination rollout among developed nations.
