Australia’s deputy top doctor declares it is safe for Olympic athletes to compete in Tokyo despite surge in cases forcing Japan to declare state of emergency
- Top government health advisor not worried if Tokyo athletes bring Covid home
- Dr Coatsworth more concerned about sick athletes than virus risk to community
- Japan has entered state of emergency as the country battles to contain Covid-19
One of the federal government’s top health advisors said he is more concerned about Olympic athletes competing while sick than whether they will bring Covid back to Australia.
Infectious disease expert Dr Nick Coatsworth said it would damage an athletes’ health if they competed while infected, but quarantine measures would protect the community if they brought coronavirus back home.
Japan has entered a state of emergency as the country struggles to contain virus, with only 1.3 per cent of the population inoculated three months out from the opening ceremony on July 23.
Dr Nick Coatsworth (left) said he is not concerned about unvaccinated Olympic Games athletes bringing Covid to Australia. Pictured right: Tokyo Olympics athletes
Around 2050 athletes and Olympic staff heading to Tokyo in three months time can volunteer to be vaccinated against Covid-19.
Dr Coatsworth was asked on Nine’s Today show whether he was concerned about the risk to Australians of having unvaccinated athletes compete with people from countries like India, which has recorded 198thousand Covid deaths.
‘I think provided we take the appropriate quarantine measures, the Australian community’s not going to be at risk at all,’ he said.
‘It’s the athlete that I’m worried about. And as an infectious disease physician, with an elite athlete competing at top level, at 125 per cent when they’ve got Covid, I think that would be a substantive risk to someone’s health.’
In addition to the vaccine, Dr Coatsworth said athletes would be using the ‘usual measures’ to prevent catching the virus, such as mask wearing and social distancing.
‘The athletes will return 48 hours after their event into hotel quarantine here in Australia,’ he said.
Dr Coatsworth also tweeted he was ‘looking forward’ to watching the games in Tokyo on Wednesday morning.
‘[It’s] a great example of minimising disruption and managing risk for an event young men and women have trained their life for,’ he wrote.
Dr Nick Coatsworth tweeted his support for Australian athletes preparing for the Tokyo Olympics on Wednesday morning
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