Australian Water Polo Player Isolated at Paris Games Amid COVID Case

An Australian water polo player has been isolated at the Paris Games after testing positive for COVID. Close contacts are being monitored and tested, though the rest of the team continues to train as planned. Precautionary measures are in place, and the athlete's health is stable.

An Australian water polo player has been isolated at the Paris Games after testing positive for COVID, the country's Olympic team chief Anna Meares announced Tuesday. Monitoring and testing of close contacts are underway, but normal training for the team continues, according to Meares.

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics, postponed due to the pandemic, set a precedent for current measures. Meares revealed that one water polo player is in isolation, detected the previous night, which has prompted precautionary plans to prevent any spread.

"We are treating COVID as any other virus, such as the flu," Meares explained, highlighting that the isolated player remains in good health, continuing to train but in a separate room. Team members are adhering to mask-wearing and social distancing protocols. Rapid in-house testing has provided swift diagnosis and intervention.

Competitions will proceed once the athlete receives an all-clear from the team's chief medical officer, Carolyn Broderick. French Health Minister Frederic Valletoux emphasized that no major COVID cluster risk exists, attributing the precautions to the currently low infection rate.

(With inputs from agencies.)