The Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee has confirmed a female member of staff has tested positive for COVID-19.
A statement issued by Tokyo 2020 said the employee, who is in her 30s, works at the Tokyo 2020 office in Harumi in Tokyo’s Chuo ward.
“The affected employee has been working from home from 30 July onward; her last day working on site at any Tokyo 2020 facility was on 29 July,” the statement read.
“The employee has not displayed any symptoms of infectious disease.
“Tokyo 2020 will continue to work with relevant organisations to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and take all necessary measures to maintain a safe and secure working environment for our staff.”
The case is the second recorded by Tokyo 2020.
The previous case was reported in April, with a male staff member in his 30s placed in quarantine at home following his positive test.
Tokyo 2020 announced in June that staff had begun to return to work in the Organising Committee’s headquarters after two months working from home.
The return to work came under a series of protocols, including teams working on a rotation basis to ensure the office does not exceed 50 per cent capacity, while staff members were required to wear masks and have their temperatures monitored.
Employees have been told to wash their hands regularly and observe social-distancing rules.
The previous Tokyo 2020 positive case for coronavirus came back in April ©Getty Images
Thermal cameras and alcohol-based hand sanitiser have also been installed in the lobby of the headquarters to reduce the risk of transmission of coronavirus.
New early and late working shifts were also created to “allow employees to avoid rush hour in public transportation”.
The Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee is made up of around 3,800 workers from organisations such as the Japanese Olympic Committee, the Japanese Paralympic Committee, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and the Japanese Government.
Due to the outbreak of COVID-19 in Japan and around the world, the Tokyo 2020 Olympics were delayed by a year and are now scheduled to open on July 23 2021.
Japan’s capital city today reported 462 new coronavirus cases, close to the daily record of 472 announced on Saturday (August 1).
Coronavirus countermeasures are viewed as key to the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games taking place next year following their postponement.
The process will be led by the Japanese Government as part of a three-party council, which will also feature the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee.
Meetings are set to begin this autumn to determine “robust countermeasures” and which are expected to be announced by the end of 2020. The rescheduled Olympics is due to take place from July 23 to August 8 next year, with the Paralympics following from August 24 and September 5.
By Michael Pavitt
