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Our team, the day of the decisive battle is approaching, and I am very worried about the local corona situation. One athlete from the U.S. women's gymnastics team that was in Japan tested positive, and the number of new cases in Tokyo continues to increase.



This is Tokyo correspondent Yoo Seongjae



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total of 21 people were in close contact with two South African soccer players, the first confirmed cases of the Olympic Village.



All close contacts were confirmed negative in PCR tests, but they went into individual isolation in the athletes' village.



Controversy is also brewing over the fact that South Africa's soccer team, ahead of their first qualifying match against Japan on the 22nd, entered the village on the 14th, three days earlier, unlike the rule that they must enter the village five days before the match.



He said that he violated the rules of entry and was diagnosed with the virus in the athletes' village, exposing athletes from other countries to the risk of infection.



The IOC and the Tokyo Organizing Committee have not disclosed how many athletes have entered the athletes' village with exceptions like the South African national team.



[Duby/IOC Competition Manager: The number cannot be disclosed. You should consult with the village management.] One



Czech male beach volleyball player who entered the village and one American female gymnast who was training outside the village were also confirmed.



The spread of infection in Tokyo shows no signs of slowing down despite the state of emergency.



In the past week, the number of new confirmed cases in Tokyo has increased by nearly 50% compared to the previous week, and the rate of increase is rather fast.



Distrust in the Suga regime, which has hardly caught the spread of infection, is also growing.



According to the Asahi Shimbun's last weekend poll, the Suga government's approval rating was 31%, the lowest since taking office in September last year.



Prime Minister Suga is aiming for a rebound in approval ratings by hosting the Tokyo Olympics, but the situation does not seem to be working.



(Video coverage: Han Cheol-min, Moon Hyun-jin, video editing: Choi Jin-hwa)  



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