Two female athletes

First corona cases at the Olympic Games in Paris

(Bild: Associated Press)

A few days before the start of the Summer Olympics in Paris, the first cases of coronavirus have been reported among athletes.

Two Australian water polo players, whose names have not been disclosed, have tested positive for the virus. This was announced by Australia's Chief of Mission, Anna Meares, at a press conference in the French capital on Tuesday. The first athlete has been isolated from the rest of the team, but her health is not really bad.

Fit enough for team training
The second athlete, who was a close contact person, was the only teammate to test positive a little later, as the Australian Olympic Committee announced. However, she felt fit enough to take part in team training. "I want to emphasize that we are not treating Covid any differently than other viruses like the flu - this is not Tokyo," said Meares. Unlike at the Summer Games in Japan three years ago, there are hardly any restrictions in Paris, such as regular mandatory testing or a mask requirement.

Slight increase in the country
The French government and the World Health Organization (WHO) reported only a slight increase in coronavirus cases in the country. "There is no major risk of a cluster," Health Minister Frederic Valletoux told the broadcaster franceinfo. "We are a long way from what we saw in 2020, 2021, 2022." There are some precautionary measures that are currently being taken. "But as the infection rate is very low, these depend on the organizers," he added.