TOKYO (THE CANADIAN PRESS) – The Tokyo Olympic Playbook for athletes and officials is still short on details, less than three months before the Games are set to open amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Offering few more details than the first version in February, the most recent edition released Wednesday stated athletes must sign a pledge to participate.
They will be tested twice before travelling to Japan, then again upon arrival. They’ll isolate for three days after arriving in Japan, but can still “perform your Games-related activities during these three days,” if their COVID-19 test is negative. Athletes will be tested daily while in Japan.
The Playbook reiterated that participants cannot take public transit, nor eat anywhere but in designated restaurants such as the Athletes Village. It’s main focus was around hygiene, social distancing and self-monitoring.
Related: Tokyo Games offer Playbooks to assure athletes, sway public
The Olympics are scheduled to open July 23, and the Paralympics on Aug. 24.
The IOC and Tokyo organizers have vowed to push ahead with the Games, while Tokyo, Osaka and several other areas came under a third state of emergency this week.
Polls have shown the majority – 70 to 80 per cent – of Japanese residents think the Olympics should be cancelled or postponed, and only one per cent of the Japanese population has been vaccinated.
The 15,000-plus athletes will not be required to be vaccinated, although some countries such as Australia are making athlete vaccination a priority.
A final version of the Playbook will be released in June.