Tokyo Paralympics 2021: COVID protocols for athletes, staff members

The Tokyo Paralympics are starting on Tuesday and are being held in never before circumstances considering the COVID-19 pandemic. Organisers of the games have said that COVID-19 protocols for the Paralympics would be implemented from the same “playbook” used during the Olympics which ended earlier this month.

Frequent testing and other restrictions, such as limiting the movement of athletes and officials, were proven effective in minimising infection risks, they said.

According to media reports, a Tokyo hospital has declined a request from the Games organisers’ to take emergency cases from the Paralympics citing priority for domestic COVID-19 patients amid the worsening virus situation in Japan.

Tokyo 2020 Games delivery officer Hidemasa Nakamura has requested domestic Games officials to avoid eating out or drinking in groups, and has promised thorough testing among local participants.

“Looking at the medical situation, we cannot help but say we will hold the Paralympics in the middle of a very difficult situation,” Nakamura said.

“What do we do if we have a case becoming seriously ill, given the tight situation on hospital beds? We need to have a contact flow in line and include the hospitals and medical facilities in that contact flow,” Nakamura added.

The host country Japan has extended COVID-19 emergency measures in and around Tokyo that will run through the Games and, like the Olympics Games held earlier, the Paralympics, to be held from August 24 to September 5, will take place generally without spectators.

According to Tokyo 2020, twelve new cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed as on Friday among Paralympic participants, including one athlete.