The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) has welcomed the release of the latest health and safety playbook for athletes and officials attending the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
The news comes with the AOC planning to ensure all our Olympic athletes will have received a COVID-19 vaccination first jab by the end of May. With 80% of the Team under the age of 50 and eligible for the Pfizer vaccine, the majority of athletes will have received their two shots well ahead of the Games.
The playbook is the second in a series of measures designed to ensure the Tokyo Games goes ahead with athlete safety as the number one priority. A further playbook will be released in June along with other sport by sport guidelines, expected in May.
AOC Chef de Mission Ian Chesterman says the new measures are a further piece in the jigsaw puzzle for Tokyo.
“This certainly helps with our planning. We know the IOC, TOCOG, the Japanese Government and Tokyo Metropolitan Government are receiving the best possible advice from Japanese health authorities and the World Health Organisation with the measures outlined based on science.
“The increased testing is important. Now all athletes will be tested twice with 96 hours before arrival into Japan and again on arrival. Testing during the Games will also be stepped up to occur every day of the Games. We also know that a raft of countries are in the same position as us, rolling out vaccination programs for their athletes. That is reassuring.
“Once we receive the final playbook in June the AOC will then finalise our own additional protocols. The news that our athletes can be vaccinated before arriving in Tokyo adds that welcome layer of relief and we hope all will have received their first jab by the end of May.”
The second Tokyo Playbook also outlines further social distancing measures for athletes in the Olympic Village, exclusively use of dedicated Games vehicles, definitions around close contacts and other measures on top of the previous advice around pre-departure requirements, compulsory mask wearing, general hygiene practices, the role of COVID Liaison Officers and restrictions on athlete movements in Tokyo.
The full second Tokyo 2020 Playbook can be found HERE
