By Monica Iheakam
Team Nigeria athletes for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympics Games as well as their officials will under go daily COVID -19 tests.
This, according to organisers of the postponed games, is part of the counter measures set up to checkmate the raving scourge of the virus during the games.
After a meeting between the Tokyo 2020 organisers, the international Olympic Committee (IOC), Japan government and the Tokyo Metropolitan government, it was agreed that daily saliva testing for athletes and all those in close proximity to all competitors would be conducted.
Also, all participants at the Games would required COVID-19 tests within 96 hours before they fly to Japan, while officials, coaches and the media will be tested daily for three days after their arrival in the host country.
Athletes who test positive will be prevented from competing at the Games, as outlined in the first playbook in February, and have again been warned that failure to comply with the measures could result in being stripped of their accreditation.
All athletes will receive a smartphone manufactured by Samsung – a top-tier sponsor of the IOC – on arrival at the Athletes’ Village as all participants will be expected to have health reporting applications installed as part of the playbook measures.