Tokyo Olympics: COVID anxiety rises as major athletes and staff test positive

A barge carrying the Olympic rings crosses Tokyo Bay, July 19, 2021. The games are due to take place from July 23 to August 8, 2021. Photo credit: Valery Sharifulin/TASS via Reuters Connect.

With the Tokyo Olympics opening this Friday, about 60 new COVID-19 cases have been reported, including among U.S. athletes Kara Eaker, Coco Gauff, and Katie Lou Samuelson.

“Think about all of the stress that occurs with training for a normal Olympics. Now on top of that, you have … athletes who are going to be put in isolation because either they're a close contact, or … they are testing positive and we will get more positive tests,” says ESPN national reporter Michele Steele. “That is what IOC [International Olympic Committee] organizers expect over the coming days, just as a function of the 11,000 athletes who are going to be in that village.”