There was a first case of corona infection during the torch relay for the Olympic Games in Tokyo, which is planned for three months. As the organizers announced on Thursday, a police officer in charge of traffic control in southwestern Kagawa Prefecture tested positive for the corona virus one day after starting work. It was said that he wore a mask and kept the safe distance.
It is the first case of infection since the torch relay began on March 25th. In the meantime, Japan is preparing to impose what is now the third corona emergency for Tokyo and Osaka in view of the increasing number of infections as a result of new virus variants. On Thursday, the Japanese capital registered 861 new infections within 24 hours. Experts warn that there could be another sharp increase in infections in the next few weeks.
Japan's Olympic organizers are still sticking to the Olympic plans in Tokyo. In view of the rising corona infections, they want to wait longer than planned before deciding whether to allow domestic viewers to attend. A decision could possibly only be made in June, organizational chief Seiko Hashimoto confirmed the day before. “I think we need a little more time to make an accurate judgment,” said Hashimoto. Foreign fans and the families of international athletes had previously excluded Japan's Olympic makers.
