By Can Erozden

ANKARA (AA): A total of 863 people involved in Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympics were infected by Covid-19, the organizers said on Wednesday.

According to Japan’s public broadcaster NHK, 547 of those who contracted the virus were involved in Olympics, while 316 others in Paralympics. They tested positive for COVID-19 before, during and after the games.

The committee began to release positive case numbers on July 1, when the coronavirus regulations for the games first took effect.

The figure includes 41 athletes, 50 media members, and 29 committee officials. Some 254 of the infected arrived in Japan from abroad.

Tokyo hosted the Olympics and Paralympics this summer, featuring nearly 15,000 athletes. Fans were barred as an emergency was imposed in Tokyo due to rising infections.

Rigorous health measures, including a bio-secure bubble, were taken to stem the spread of the virus among athletes, officials and locals.

On Monday, after the Games ended, Tokyo 2020 President Hashimoto Seiko told reporters that she cannot say the committee achieved full success in carrying out antivirus measures. But she added that the committee quickly identified and isolated the infected and ensured safe environments for the Games.

[Archive Photo: A view near the press center a day before the start of Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan on July 22, 202 Photographer: Elif Ozturk Ozgoncu/AA]