Tokyo 2020: Olympic host city sees record daily rise in Covid infections

Tokyo has reported a record daily rise in Covid-19 cases as infections surge in the 2020 Olympics Games host country.

The city saw 5,042 new daily coronavirus cases on Thursday, bringing the total in Tokyo to 236,138. Nationwide, Japan reported more than 14,000 cases on Wednesday as overall cases topped 970,000.

Tokyo has been under a state of emergency since mid-July, which includes a ban on alcohol in restaurants and bars, and four other areas have since been added and extended until August 31.

But there are concerns that these measures are being increasingly ignored by the restriction-weary public.

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has denied that the Olympics are behind the rise in infections.

Alarmed by the pace of the spread, some experts have called for a current state of emergency in Tokyo and five other areas to be expanded nationwide.

But, instead, Mr Suga announced an easing of emergency measures in eight prefectures.

Japan has kept its cases and deaths lower than many other countries since the outbreak of the pandemic, but experts warned infections propelled by the more contagious delta variant have become “explosive” and could exceed 10,000 cases a day in two weeks.

The Olympics faced widespread public opposition and concern the Games could worsen the outbreak.

On the eve of the opening ceremony, IOC spokesperson Mark Adams said there was nothing to suggest a link between the Games and the rising figures.

"As far as I'm aware there's not a single case of an infection spreading to the Tokyo population from the athletes or Olympic movement," he told reporters last week.

The estimated 70,000 athletes, coaches, staff, officials and media descending on Tokyo between July to August for the Olympic and Paralympic Games are subjected to strict rules including a rigorous testing programme.

As well as daily testing, there are mask mandates, social-distancing procedures and isolation bubbles in place to contain any outbreaks of the virus.

It is also estimated around 80% of Olympic participants are also fully vaccinated.

British long jumper Jazmin Sawyers posted a video on Twitter which showed the stark reality of life for athletes competing in a pandemic Games.

In the minute long clip, she is shown taking her daily PCR test which must be done before 10am.

Then, athletes take their temperature and log it on the app.

They must wear masks at all time except when training or eating - and eating is done behind screens.

Competitors, coaches and officials are allowed out of their team hotel just once a day on a supervised walk that covers no more than 100 metres.

They are restricted to a few floors of the hotel - and if they want to pop out for a bit of fresh air they allowed onto the balcony but must wear a mask.