A member of the Ugandan Olympic team was barred entry into Japan after the athlete tested positive for coronavirus, according to a report from the Associated Press. The unidentified team member was the first confirmed COVID-19 case of incoming athletes to the 2021 games.
The team was just the second to arrive in the country for the Olympics, with the Australian softball team arriving beforehand. Though travelers visiting Japan normally need to undergo a two-week quarantine upon entering the country, the Olympics teams do not have to do that.
Before coming to Japan, each of the team members was fully vaccinated with the AstraZeneca version of the COVID-19 vaccine and had negative PCR tests before boarding their flight.
This incident has added to the flurry of concerns from critics of the Olympic Games that Japan is unequipped to host this quadrennial safely. Japan, as the AP notes, is one of the slowest developed nations in the world in getting their population vaccinated, with only 6% reportedly having a vaccine. By comparison, more that half of the U.S. population has received at least one dose. The cities of Tokyo and Osaka are in a state of emergency to curb the spread of the virus, though daily cases are still growing by several hundred. The states of emergency are expected to end on Sunday
The Olympics are set to begin on July 23.
