Japan PM, organisers deny spike in Tokyo virus cases linked to Olympics

Japan's Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Thursday denied there was any link between the Olympic Games and the rise in COVID-19 cases in the country as capital Tokyo recorded 3,865 daily infections on Thursday which was more than  3,177 a day earlier.

Tokyo 2020 spokesperson said two people attending the Olympics from overseas have been admitted to hospital with coronavirus as reports claimed emergency was set to be declared in three prefectures surrounding Tokyo and Osaka.

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Reports said the daily coronavirus cases had reached 10,000 for the first time as the high profile Olympic Games enters the second week.

International Olympic Committee(IOC) spokesman Mark Adams said: "As far as I'm aware there's not a single case of an infection spreading to the Tokyo population from the athletes or Olympic movement."

"We have the most tested community probably anywhere... in the world, on top of that you have some of the toughest lockdown restrictions in the athlete's village," Adams added.

The IOC spokesman said there were  310,000 screening tests with the positivity rate at 0.02 per cent.

The Olympic organisers had banned spectators at the start while laying down strict coronavirus protocol to be followed by athletes and organizers.

IOC's statement was backed by PM Suga who said: "In order to avoid the spread of infection from foreigners to the Japanese, strict border measures are being taken."

The vaccination drive in Japan has been slow with just 26.5 per cent residents who have received the jabs as Japan's medical association urged the government to take steps to avoid an outbreak.

According to reports, 60 per cent of Tokyo's hospital beds for serious coronavirus patients were filled on Tuesday even as the city is under a state of emergency which is set to last beyond the Olympics.

(With inputs from Agencies)