Olympics organisers unveiled the first of a series of “playbooks” aimed at holding the coronavirus-postponed Tokyo Games safely , warning that rule breakers could be kicked out.
Sports officials will be allowed to skip quarantine as long as they monitor their health for 14 days after arriving in Japan, according to the 32-page document.
During those 14 days, however, the officials will not be allowed to travel outside the Games bubble or watch events as a spectator.
The playbooks are aimed at building confidence that the Games can go ahead even if the pandemic is not under control by the opening ceremony on July 23. The rules are set to be updated in April and again in June.
The first of the guides is aimed at sports officials, with versions for athletes, fans, media and others to follow in the coming weeks.
“We have learned a lot from the best practices of other events,” said Olympic Games Executive Director Christophe Dubi of the International Olympic Committee. “It is the mantra of all of us – the Games have to be safe, for each stakeholder group, for each participant. It’s a question of responsibility.”
Officials will be subjected to a series of rules during their stay in Japan, including mask-wearing, complying with contact tracing and staying within designated areas.
The rising number of coronavirus infections in Japan has increased doubts about the prospects for this summer’s postponed Olympics