Six additional Olympic torch staffers have tested positive for COVID-19, Reuters reported.
Tokyo 2020 said in a statement on Saturday that the six people helped out on the relay portion in the southern prefecture of Kagoshima on Tuesday.
Two other Olympic staffers have tested positive for the virus earlier in April. Olympic organizers said that the sick staffers assisted on traffic control and wore masks in two other cities of the country, according to Reuters.
This comes as Japan declared a state of emergency last month for major cities and populations of Tokyo and Osaka to contain the fourth wave of infections. Olympic organizers have urged Japan’s citizens to comply with COVID-19 guidelines, according to Reuters.
The Tokyo 2020 games will begin on July 23 after being delayed a year due to the pandemic.