- Australia Olympics Covid Outbreak Worsens
- Another three stars tested positive
- But Anna Meares says it’s limited to water polo teams only
Three more members of the Australian women’s water polo team have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the number of infected people on the eve of the Olympic campaign to five.
Australian chef de mission Anna Meares confirmed on Wednesday that almost half of the 13 women’s squad had tested positive for the virus, a day after two players initially tested positive for the virus.
The medal hopefuls begin their campaign on Saturday in Paris against China. Meares said the five athletes will be allowed to train later on Wednesday if they feel well enough.
“It’s limited to the water polo team,” she said, adding that the entire women’s team had been tested.
‘There will be training again this afternoon and if those five athletes feel well enough to train, then they will do so.’
She said they would wear masks, isolate themselves and avoid visiting busy parts of the village.
Three more Australian athletes test positive for Covid ahead of the Olympics
The Australian team has its own medical testing equipment for diseases such as COVID-19 and influenza.
“We don’t treat COVID any differently than any other respiratory illness, but we want to make sure our protocols work,” she said.
She said such concerns are “an integral part of every Olympic Games.”
The French government and the World Health Organization (WHO) have said there has been only a moderate increase in the number of COVID cases in the country.
“There is no major risk of a cluster,” Health Minister Frederic Valletoux told broadcaster franceinfo.
“Of course COVID is here. We’ve seen a little bit of a spike (in cases), but we’re far from what we saw in 2020, 2021, 2022.”