Japan Olympics surfing venue refuses to cooperate with athlete testing - media

The venue for surfing in the Tokyo Olympics has refused to set up COVID-19 testing facilities for athletes, NHK reported on Friday, pointing to logistical hurdles for Japan to hold the Games as the pandemic continues.

FILE PHOTO: The Olympic rings are illuminated in front of the National Stadium in Tokyo, Japan January 22, 2021. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-HoonTOKYO: The venue for surfing in the Tokyo Olympics has refused to set up COVID-19 testing facilities for athletes, NHK reported on Friday, pointing to logistical hurdles for Japan to hold the Games as the pandemic continues.

The town of Ichinomiya, about 96 km east of Tokyo, was requested to set up a testing facility by the Brazilian national team, but refused, citing a lack of medical facilities, the national broadcaster said.Tokyo 2020 organisers on Wednesday issued the second edition of"playbooks" that lay out infection prevention standards for the Summer Games. The rules require daily testing of athletes and restrict their use of public transportation, complicating logistics in more remote venues.

With fewer than three months left until the Games are set to open - postponed a year by the coronavirus pandemic - Japan is struggling to tame a resurgence of the virus even as its vaccination drive lags all other wealthy nations. Japan has been dependent on imported doses of Pfizer Inc's vaccine so far in its inoculation push. Health Minister Norihisa Tamura confirmed on Friday that the first doses of Moderna Inc's vaccine, expected to be approved in May, had arrived in Japan.

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