IOC medical director: COVID cases not burdening Tokyo's medical system

The IOC’s medical director says COVID-19 cases at the Tokyo Games are not burdening the city’s medical system.

Officials say that from July 1 through Wednesday, 198 people accredited for the Tokyo Games have tested positive for COVID-19, including 23 athletes. Three of the new cases from Wednesday were athletes staying in the Olympic Village.

Olympic organizers say two people among the 198 are receiving hospital treatment. Neither of those two cases is severe.

Medical Director Richard Budgett says care for athletes is being provided by their own team medical staff and a polyclinic at the village.

He says he’s confident “the Olympics are being run without actually affecting that essential secondary care and hospital provision” for residents of Japan.

Tokyo, meanwhile, reported 3,177 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, setting an all-time high and exceeding 3,000 for the first time.

Experts say Tokyo’s surge is being propelled by the new, more contagious delta variant of the virus. There is no evidence of the disease being transmitted from Olympics participants to the general public.