Prior to boarding the plane to Tokyo, all the team members had all gotten both doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine and according to Maariv, had to show documentation confirming that they tested negative within the last 96 hours before boarding the plane.
Upon their arrival in Japan, the team members were asked to give a saliva sample for an antigen test, Maariv reported. One member's test yielded unclear results and he was asked to perform an additional test with test pen, which is believed to be more precise, the test returned positive.
The team member who tested positive had since been barred from entering Japan and is currently staying at a government-designated facility. The rest of the team continued as planned to the town of Osaka where the Olympics will be hosted.
Though Japan requires a two-week quarantine for any overseas arrivals, media outlets reported that Olympic teams are not subject to the same requirements and restrictions. In fact, Olympians are not required to be vaccinated, but instead will be separated to their own social bubbles and be tested for the virus every day throughout their stay. At least 100,000 people are expected to arrive in Japan for the Olympics, according to The Guardian, while many critics have raised concerns about the risks of holding the Olympics amidst the pandemic.
Less than six percent of Japan’s residents have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus and cases are rising in many cities, including Tokyo, media outlets noted. So far, Japan has not imposed a lockdown on its citizens but rather has instituted limitations on public gatherings. The Washington Post reported that on Sunday, Japan lifted some of the restrictions in many cities.