The latest on the Covid-19 pandemic as Olympics approach

Erin Bromage, a professor of biology at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, told CNN’s Brianna Keilar that it was always known that breakthrough Covid-19 cases would happen in vaccinated people, but that they’ve caught people by surprise. 

“We know that there are breakthrough cases and we knew that they were going to happen right from the start when they released the Phase 3 data that said that the vaccines were roughly 95% effective,” Bromage said on New Day Wednesday when asked about breakthrough infections in vaccinated people.

The phase 3 vaccine data tested for efficacy of the vaccines among symptomatic cases – individuals who were infected and exhibited symptoms – not overall infection. 

People who are fully vaccinated and who have changed their behavior, doing things like going to restaurants, bars and clubs have been caught by surprise, he said, because while their personal risk for developing symptoms has decreased, the activities of gathering in closed, confined spaces are still higher risk activities. “If you’re indoors in a church or in a restaurant and it’s not a big open space, the air being shared by a lot of people around you, then you’re actually putting yourself at higher risk for infection,” said Bromage. “Now, high risk for infection for a vaccinated person probably doesn’t matter as much because we know it doesn’t lead to severe disease,” he added. 

Britain's world No. 1 shooter Amber Hill has withdrawn from the Tokyo Olympics after testing positive for Covid-19 prior to departing for Japan, Team GB announced in a statement on Wednesday.

Hill, who tested positive for Covid-19 in the UK, was due to compete in the Women’s Olympic Skeet competition.

The 23-year-old, who was the most experienced athlete on the British shooting team, was a finalist at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro. 

"I will be back from this, but right now I need some time to reflect and take in what has happened,” she added.

Shooting team leader Steven Seligmann said it was “an incredibly sad situation” adding “our focus is to now make sure Amber is kept safe and well, both physically and mentally, and we have the support in place to help her through this difficult period.”

Team GB confirmed no replacement athlete will be selected in Hill’s place.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been accused of being a “super spreader” of confusion over self-isolation rules, by the leader of opposition Labour party Keir Starmer, after contradictory statements were issued by the government earlier this week on the matter. 

Johnson joined virtually – with the speaker of the House of Commons at one point struggling to hear him – as he is self-isolating at his country residence in Chequers, England, after being a close contact of the Health Secretary Sajid Javid, who tested positive for Covid-19 on Sunday. 

“Even after 15 months of these exchanges I can’t believe that the Prime Minister doesn't see the irony of him spending 'Freedom Day' locked in isolation, and announcing plans for a vaccines ID card,” Starmer said. He highlighted the recent confusion and changes of policy over isolation exemptions and Covid vaccine passports, two days after all lockdown restrictions were lifted in England despite daily cases being around 50,000. 

“When it comes to creating confusion. The Prime Minister is a super spreader,” Starmer added. 

Johnson accused Starmer of trying to "score cheap political points" and defended the isolation system. 

Johnson said Monday that a number of critical workers would be exempt from the requirement to self-isolate when notified by the NHS Covid-19 ‘Track and Trace’ app. 

Downing Street reiterated on Tuesday that people should isolate if they are notified or ‘pinged’ by a Covid app used by the National Health Service to trace possible contacts of those who test positive for Covid-19. The confirmation came after UK business minister Paul Scully suggested that it was down to individuals and employers to follow the instructions, or to ignore them.

Dutch Olympic skateboarder Candy Jacobs has tested positive for Covid-19 in Tokyo, ending her Olympic journey, according to a post from her official Instagram account.

Jacobs is the first athlete to announce he or she cannot participate because of the virus after arriving in Tokyo.

There have been other athletes who have tested positive before arriving in Japan and have announced they cannot participate in the Games.

"Luckily we've been following the protocols so my fellow skateboarders still get to shine bright," Jacobs added.

"I will need some time to let my broken heart heal and recover from this. Let's go Paris 2024," Jacobs said.

It is unclear whether Jacobs was staying in the Olympic Village, though her Instagram stories show videos of the Village. 

The Tokyo 2020 Games are set to officially begin on Friday.

Tokyo 2020 CEO Toshiro Muto isn’t ruling out a last minute cancellation of the Olympic Games amid rising Covid-19 cases.

Tokyo reported 1,387 new Covid-19 cases on Tuesday, the city’s second-highest daily increase of new cases since Jan. 21, according to Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s website.

And as athletes have started to arrive ahead of the opening ceremony on Friday, the number of cases in Japan linked to the Games is now over 70, according to organizers.

“We cannot predict what the epidemic will look like in the future. So as for what to do should there be any surge of positive cases, we’ll discuss accordingly if that happens,” Muto said during a press conference held in Tokyo on Tuesday. 

“During the last five-party talk, it was clearly stated we’ll continue to monitor the coronavirus situation, and a five-party talk will be held if necessary.”

The five parties are the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee, the Japan government, the Tokyo Metropolitan government and the International Paralympic Committee.

The capital is currently under a coronavirus state of emergency, which is set to expire on Aug. 22, and organizers announced this month that the Tokyo venues will not have spectators as a result. 

Just three days before the sporting spectacle is set to begiin, Tokyo public health expert Dr. Kenji Shibuya said the Olympic bubble system “is kind of broken.”

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