According to sources close to the Games, athletes and others participate in the Tokyo Olympics who violate regulations aimed at avoiding the spread of the new coronavirus may be disqualified from competing or penalised. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) will have specifics of the harsh actions at its disposal in the final edition of the Playbook, a set of guidelines on coronavirus measures for athletes and others that will be released as soon as next week.
Athletes and staff will only be allowed to travel between their lodging, training facilities, and event locations in theory. Members of the IOC and international media organisations will be able to visit authorised places after submitting activity plans for the first 14 days of their stay in Japan. Visitors who go on unofficial trips to commercial districts and tourist destinations, as well as those who refuse to take viral tests, may be penalised. If masks are not used or social isolation is not practised, warnings or fines will be issued.
A violation can be reported to the Games' organising committee or country representatives by anybody who observes it. The information will be shared with an investigation team that includes IOC officials, and the details will be verified, among other things, by checking the alleged violators' handsets' Global Positioning System (GPS) history. Possible sanctions for violations include withdrawal of accreditation, disqualification and exclusion from the Games, as well as a fine.
Unauthorized visitors may be compelled to leave the country or sentenced to a 14-day self-quarantine. For the first three days of their stay in Japan, game staff and others will be tested every day. The Playbook will then specify the frequency of testing. Beginning on the fourth day, team members entering the athletes' village, as well as Games officials such as referees and photographers working at the venues, would be tested daily.
At least once every four days, everyone who may come into touch with athletes on a regular basis, such as IOC members, media, and bus drivers, will be tested. Every seven days, volunteers and anyone who has limited contact with athletes will be examined. The Tokyo Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the IOC, and others issued the initial version of the Playbook in February, and it was updated in April. In light of public concerns about the virus spreading during the Games, the final version will include severe penalties for violators as well as stringent testing standards.
