- Two Czech athletes have been forced to withdraw from the Games after positive COVID-19 tests
- A third athlete will miss his opening beach volleyball match but could return
- Reports identified a team doctor as the first person who tested positive among the delegation
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.
Five members of the Czech delegation – including three athletes – had tested positive and were in isolation as of Thursday.
“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.
