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Olympic COVID bubble already “broken” with 71 cases, 3 in athlete village

A barge carrying the Olympic Rings crosses Tokyo Bay.

Enlarge / A barge carrying the Olympic Rings crosses Tokyo Bay. (credit: Getty | Valery Sharifulin )

The number of COVID-19 cases linked to the Tokyo Olympics has risen to 71, with at least three cases confirmed within the particular Olympic Village that is housing athletes, according to reports out of Japan.

At minimum one public health expert says typically the rising case count indicates that the protective COVID bubble designed around the games has already burst days before the international sporting event even starts.

Olympics organizers said Tuesday that this tally hit 71 , including 31 international travelers who had arrived in Tokyo to compete or work at the games, the Associated Press reports. The count also includes Olympic-accredited contractors and volunteers in Japan who have tested positive for often the pandemic coronavirus.

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