Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Olympics Covid Surge Hits Highest Daily Case Total As Games Open
USA Today: Olympic Organizers Report Highest Single-Day Total Of COVID Cases
Olympic organizers reported their largest single-day total of COVID-19 cases on Friday, just as the Games were set to officially begin with the opening ceremony Friday evening (morning in U.S.). Tokyo organizers announced 19 new cases, including three athletes and three residents of the Olympic Village. Among the cases, four are residents of Japan while the remaining 15 are non-residents. The total included three contractors, 10 games-concerned personnel and three media. All of the non-residents are under a 14-day quarantine. The latest update brings the total cases to 106 since July 1. (Axon, 7/22)
Bloomberg: Tokyo Olympics Cases Jump As Games Start, Athletes Infected
Japan’s Olympics organizers reported a record number of new daily coronavirus infections linked to the Games, including three athletes, bringing the total to 110 just hours before the opening ceremony is scheduled to start in a nearly empty stadium in Tokyo. Nineteen new Covid-19 cases connected to the event were reported on Friday, the highest daily figure since organizers started disclosing the data this month. One of the infected athletes is residing in the Olympic Village. (Suga, 7/23)
AP: At Least 100 US Athletes Unvaccinated As Olympics Begin
About 100 of the 613 U.S. athletes descending on Tokyo for the Olympics are unvaccinated, the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee’s medical chief said hours before Friday night’s opening ceremony. Medical director Jonathan Finnoff said 567 of the American athletes had filled out their health histories as they prepared for the trip, and estimated 83% had replied they were vaccinated. “Eighty-three percent is actually a substantial number and we’re quite happy with it,” Finnoff said. (Pells, 7/23)
And among the Czech Olympic team —
NPR: Czech Olympic Team Investigates Charter Flight After 4 Athletes Test Positive
Czech Olympic officials are looking into a cluster of coronavirus cases that are linked to a charter flight that brought a contingent of athletes and staff to Japan. The country's team has six coronavirus cases in total. A doctor who was on the flight was reportedly among the first to test positive. As of late Thursday, four athletes had also tested positive for the coronavirus. Road cyclist Michal Schlegel is the latest athlete to test positive, joining a list that includes two beach volleyball players and a table tennis player. Schlegel will not be able to compete in Saturday's Olympic road race, the Czech Olympic Committee said. (Chappell, 7/22)
