Tokyo Olympics: First Covid cases in athletes' village and Team GB have eight self-isolating
Two South Africa footballers have become the first competitors to test positive for coronavirus in the athletes' village in Tokyo - five days before the start of the Olympic Games.
Meanwhile, six athletes and two staff members from Team GB's athletics team are self-isolating after being identified as close contacts of an individual who tested positive after their arrival into Tokyo on 16 July.
South Africa's Football Association confirmed Thabiso Monyane and Kamohelo Mahlatsi as their positive cases.
Mario Masha, the South Africa football team's video analyst, also tested positive on Saturday.
Organisers say 21 South Africa players and officials have been identified as close contacts.
They are confined to their rooms in the Olympic village, with all of their meals delivered to the door, and they must take daily PCR tests.
All the results on Sunday were negative and as long as that continues, the squad will be will be allowed to train in a bubble as they prepare for their match against Japan on Thursday.
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"We have three positive cases of Covid-19 in the camp here, two players and an official," said South Africa team manager Mxolisi Sibam.
"There is daily screening which included taking temperature and saliva testing.
"Masha and Monyane reported high temperatures and positive saliva tests and were then taken to do the nasal test, which we all had initially taken - and they unfortunately tested positive for Covid through that test. Mahlatsi is the latest player to go through the same process."
Monyane, a right-back with Orlando Pirates in his homeland, posted on social media when the team arrived in Tokyo.
South Africa Sevens rugby coach Neil Powell also tested positive on Sunday on arrival in Japan and is now isolating in Kagoshima, where the squad is based for a pre-Games training camp.
On Monday, organisers announced six new cases connected to the Olympics including media, contractors and other personnel, though none in the village.
That brings the total number of positive cases to 62, with 28 among the 22,000 accredited people who have arrived from abroad.
Infection rates are rising among the general population of Tokyo, topping 1,000 new cases for four consecutive days. Polls show many Japanese people oppose holding the Games with the influx of overseas visitors it entails.
One of the Games' sponsors, Toyota, said its executives would not be attending Friday's opening ceremony, an event spectators were already unable to attend.
The manufacturer also confirmed it would not run any Olympics-related adverts in Japan because of the uncertainty around the Games among the country's population, though adverts would still be aired internationally.
This article originally appeared on BBC Sport
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