Most infectious COVID variant detected in African athletes in Tokyo

A member of the Ugandan Olympic team who tested positive for the coronavirus upon arrival in Japan had the Delta variant, Japan’s Olympics minister said, Report informs referring to Reuters.

A coach in the East African nation’s delegation tested positive after arriving in Japan on June 26, while a second member, an athlete, tested positive on June 23 after arriving in the team’s host city of Izumisano.

Olympics Minister Tamayo Marukawa told a news conference that the person who arrived on June 26 had been found to have the highly infectious Delta variant and that analysis was also being conducted on the second confirmed case, NHK public TV reported.

Marukawa said she would consult other ministries and liaise with those on the ground about what steps were needed, NHK said.

The case handling has sparked criticism from local officials and experts and fueled concerns about what lies ahead.

Although one member tested positive for the virus at the airport, the rest traveled to the host town in a bus, accompanied by three city officials, an Izumisano official said. Those people were only designated “close contacts” days later.