The first Japanese Beijing Olympian to test positive for the coronavirus has headed back to the athletes' village from the isolation facility after twice testing negative, the Japanese Olympic Committee said Thursday.
Japan Chef de Mission Hidehito Ito delivered the update on the skier who tested positive for the coronavirus on Tuesday in Beijing. The athlete's name has not been released due to the JOC's privacy policy, although it had been confirmed the person is asymptomatic.
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Michiko Dohi, in charge of the delegation's coronavirus countermeasures, said the skier, as stipulated in the Beijing Games playbook, will now be treated the same as close contacts and allowed to train and compete upon meeting required conditions.
The Beijing Games are being held on Feb. 4-20 under strict coronavirus rules with athletes, team staff, media and workers restricted to a bubble that keeps them isolated from the Chinese public.
Games organizers have implemented a stringent testing regime in hopes of keeping the games virus-free, in line with China's zero-COVID policy.
