TWO OLYMPIC ATHLETES TEST POSITIVE

[Anchor Lead]

Only four days left until the opening day, two athletes staying tested positive for COVID-19 inside the Athletes’ Village for the first time. Former table tennis champion and a member of the IOC Athletes’ Commission Ryu Seung-min was also found to have COVID-19 at the airport screening and he is now in isolation.

[Pkg]

​The Tokyo Olympics Athletes’ Village opened on July 13th. Just one day after a staff member staying at the facility was found to have been infected with COVID-19, two more athletes tested positive. It's the first time athletes staying in the village were confirmed of infection. The three cases came from individuals of the same nationality, competing in the same event. Concerns over mass infection mount, but the organizing committee believes there is no problem.

[Soundbite] Hidemasa Nakamura(Official, Tokyo Olympics 2020 Organizing Committee) : "We saw this situation coming and conducted several simulations beforehand. The situation is under control."

55 Olympic workers were confirmed of COVID-19 since the disease control measures were put in place. About half of those cases occurred in the past two days. Ryu Seung-min, South Korea's table tennis star turned IOC Athletes' commission member, also tested positive at the Japanese airport screening. He is currently being isolated at a hotel near the airport. He tested negative before leaving Korea and was fully vaccinated. Nonetheless, Ryu still apologized for his condition.

[Soundbite] "Shame on you, IOC!"

The Japanese government came under fire for holding a welcoming party for some 40 IOC members at a VIP guest house.

[Soundbite] Thomas Bach(President, Int’l Olympic Committee)

The South Korean delegation plans to arrive in Japan in several groups as concerns about disease transmission grow. About 70 members of the main delegation are to arrive in Tokyo on Monday.