COVID-19 Cases Reach Record High In Tokyo

Tokyo saw its highest number of new COVID-19 cases Tuesday, just five days after the start of the Olympic Games, the Associated Press reported.

Tokyo reported 2,848 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday bringing the total number of infections to over 200,000, according to the Associated Press.

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga encouraged people to avoid non-essential gatherings, but said he does not see the spike in cases affecting the Games, the AP reported

“I would like to ask everyone to avoid unnecessary trips outside the home and to watch the Olympics and Paralympics on television,” Suga said, according to the AP.

The spike in cases was not surprising to Health Minister Norihisa Tamura, who blamed restaurants and bars that have continued to serve alcohol during the current state of emergency, the AP reported.

“Taking into consideration the global acceleration of infections because of the delta strain, which is taking over earlier variants, it was quite possible,” Tamura said about the sharp spike in cases, according to the AP.

There have been six U.S. Olympic athletes who have tested positive for coronavirus as of Tuesday, multiple sources reported.

Bryson DeChambeau, a member of the U.S. Men’s Golf Team, tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday before traveling to Japan, the U.S. golf team announced in a press release.

“I am deeply disappointed not to be able to compete in the Olympics for Team USA,” DeChambeau said in the press release.

U.S. Men’s Beach Volleyball member Taylor Crabb tested positive for COVID-19 when he arrived in Japan on July 20, he announced in an Instagram post.

Katie Lou Samuelson, a member of the 3×3 Women’s Basketball team, and Kara Eaker, an alternate for the U.S. The Women’s Gymnastics team both tested positive for COVID-19 on July 19, multiple sources reported.

U.S. Women’s Tennis star Coco Gauff announced on Twitter that she tested positive for COVID-19 on July 18.