BEIJING, A South Korean official participating in the Beijing Winter Olympics has tested positive for COVID-19, the first infection for the country’s athletic delegation to China, the national Olympic body said Saturday.
The Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC) said the official, who works for the skiing national team, first tested positive after getting tested at Beijing Capital International Airport on Thursday.
The official underwent a retest Friday evening, and the result came back positive again early Saturday. The official has been moved to a quarantine facility.
Per rules set by Beijing’s organizing committee, those who test positive for the virus must turn in consecutive negative results from PCR tests 24 hours apart in order to leave isolation.
The KSOC said no athlete or passenger in close proximity with the infected official on the Beijing-bound flight has tested positive.
The KSOC added it will provide mental health support for the skiing official and assist with daily COVID-19 testing. It is also trying to bring in the official’s replacement for the Olympics.
Skiing events will take place in Zhangjiakou, about 180 kilometers northwest of Beijing.
Source: Yonhap News Agency