Olympics: Delegates' positive tests spur Japan panel's call for tougher border controls

FILE PHOTO: Tokyo 2020 Olympic Torch Relay Grand Start torchbearer Nadeshiko Japan, Japan's women's national soccer team, leads the torch relay in Naraha, Fukushima prefecture, Japan March 25, 2021. REUTERS

With two members of the Ugandan delegation testing positive after arriving in Japan for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games that start on July 23, organisers are seeking to soothe public concerns that delegations may bring in and spread COVID-19.

At a news conference on Monday, Yasuhiro Yamashita, the president of Japan's Olympic Committee, said it was impossible to completely shut out coronavirus cases upon arrival, making it crucial for authorities to spot them at the border.