BERLIN: The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is still ironing out details of a policy by which national teams fly in additional medical staff for the Tokyo Olympics so as not to burden Japan which is struggling to cope with the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.

The IOC’s coordination commission chief John Coates said last week additional medical personnel would be part of the foreign Olympic delegations to support the medical operations and the implementation of Covid-19 countermeasures at the Games.

He did not say how many additional medical professionals would be flown in for the Olympics or how many each team would need to bring.

“The IOC is actively working with its Japanese partners in the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee and with the National Olympic Committees on the details of this policy (of flying in additional medical personnel),” the IOC said on Tuesday.

It said the policy would be a further measure to ensure safe and secure Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 but it did not say when it would be finalised or how many additional staff were needed.

Olympic organisers have said the Games, postponed from last year, will go ahead by adopting strict safety measures, including ensuring athletes do not mix with the Japanese public.

Published in Dawn, May 26th, 2021