Athletes to be tested daily for COVID-19 at Tokyo 2020 Games

The International Olympic Committee (IOC), the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and the Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 have launched the second edition of the Tokyo 2020 Playbooks with the version for athletes and team officials.

The Playbooks have been developed through the ongoing work of the All-Partners Task Force, which includes the Government of Japan, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee, the IOC, IPC, World Health Organization and independent experts and organisations from across the world.

An updated version of the athletes' playbook, which lays out the guidelines for the Games, was released yesterday.

According to the athletes and officials’ playbook;

• Participants travelling from outside Japan will have to take two tests before flying
• Participants other than athletes will have to quarantine at their accommodation for three days after arriving in Japan
• Athletes will be tested daily to minimise the risk of undetected positive cases that could transmit the virus
• Athletes who come into close contact with a positive COVID-19 case are set to only be cleared to compete once they themselves have registered a negative test
• Participants can eat only in catering facilities at on-site venues, restaurants at their accommodation or in their room
• Participants must wear a face mask except when they are "eating, drinking, sleeping, training or competing"

Japan is in a state of emergency until at least 11 May after a rise in coronavirus infections.

The organisers will regularly update the Playbooks in light of the latest advances in science and developments on the ground. The next version of the Playbooks (which is expected to be final) will be published in June 2021.

The Olympics are due to begin on 23 July, with the Paralympics set to start on 24 August.

The full playbook for athletes and team officials can be read here. 

To view the playbooks list please click here.