Friday, July 23, 2021

Czech team flight being investigated after cluster of COVID-19 cases at Tokyo Olympics

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TOKYO — A cluster of COVID-19 cases has emerged in the Czech delegation at the Tokyo Olympics.

And it appears that a chartered flight to Tokyo – and, according to Czech media, an unvaccinated doctor – might have contributed to the spread.

The Czech Olympic Committee announced Thursday that it is investigating whether lax behavior on a team flight to Tokyo last week might be to blame for the spate of COVID-19 cases within its group. The investigation will examine "whether all precautions against the spread of COVID-19 before, during and after the charter flight have been complied with," according to a news release.

a bridge over a body of water with a city in the background: The Olympic Rings and Olympic Village, as seen from Odaiba in Tokyo Bay, mark the epicenter of the Summer Games.© Mandi Wright, USA TODAY Sports The Olympic Rings and Olympic Village, as seen from Odaiba in Tokyo Bay, mark the epicenter of the Summer Games.

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Six members of the Czech delegation – including four athletes – had tested positive and were in isolation as of Friday morning. 

"The situation is serious," Czech team leader Martin Doktor said in a statement. "We have done our best to stop spreading the virus. Unfortunately, we didn’t avoid sport tragedies. I’m deeply sorry."

The Czech News Agency reported that 42 people – including 14 athletes – were aboard the chartered flight in question, and that not all of the passengers wore their masks for the duration of the flight. 

Multiple news outlets in the Czech Republic have identified Vlastimil Voráček, an orthopedist with the delegation, as the first person who tested positive upon arrival.

The Czech News Agency reported that Voráček is not vaccinated, and he is quoted in a news article from Oct. 2020 as claiming that gargling mouthwash can prevent the spread of COVID-19. (Experts said late last year that current research didn't support that claim.)

The situation has even drawn the attention – and criticism – of Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, who has dubbed it a scandal.

"Everywhere we convince people to be vaccinated. And here the doctor of our delegation is not vaccinated," Babiš said Wednesday, according to the Czech News Agency.

A spokesperson for the Czech Olympic Committee did not reply to messages from USA TODAY Sports on Thursday seeking additional information.

The COC said in its news release that it would not comment on the chartered flight and its potential contribution to the spread of COVID-19 "until the investigation is closed and a report on its outcome is published," which is expected within 14 days.

Meanwhile, three Czech athletes – beach volleyball player Markéta Nausch, road cyclist Michal Schlegel and table tennis player Pavel Širuček – have been forced to withdraw from the Games after their positive COVID-19 tests. A third athlete, Ondřej Perušič, will miss his opening beach volleyball match. It is unclear if he may still be able to participate later in the Games. 

The COC said a news release that it is working with the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee to contain the spread of COVID-19, and that it had moved some members of its delegation out of the Olympic Village as a precaution. Those who have been deemed close contacts are receiving daily PCR tests. 

The Tokyo 2020 organizing committee said in a statement Friday that health authorities had recommended the Czech delegation's 11 close contact be moved to an isolation facility outside of the village.

"Tokyo 2020 is taking every appropriate measure to identify and test close contacts, and is working closely with the IOC and all delivery partners to ensure the successful delivery of a safe and secure Games for the participants and for the people of Japan," the organizing committee said.

A total of 110 people connected with the Tokyo Olympics had tested positive for COVID-19 in Japan from July 1 to Friday. The group includes 13 athletes and 12 people who were residing in the Olympic Village when they tested positive.

All Olympic stakeholders were required to produce two negative COVID-19 tests before traveling to Japan, then test negative again upon arrival. Athletes are required to take daily saliva tests while in Tokyo.

Tokyo 2020 officials said Thursday that of the roughly 32,000 people who had arrived in Japan for the Olympics, only 20 tested positive at the airport. They also estimated that they have conducted about 96,000 screening tests to date.

Competition at the Games began Wednesday, and the opening ceremony will take place Friday with fewer than 1,000 people on hand at Tokyo's Olympic Stadium.

The ceremony comes amid a surge in COVID-19 cases in Tokyo, where the government has declared a state of emergency for the duration of the Olympics. The 1,979 new cases reported in the city Thursday marked the highest one-day total since Jan. 15.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

Contact Tom Schad at tschad@usatoday.com or on Twitter @Tom_Schad. 

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