Kenya Lionesses ‘to be released from quarantine’ in Tokyo
The second batch of Kenya's national women's rugby team players, currently in precautionary holding in Tokyo, is expected to link up with the rest of the "Lionesses" squad at Team Kenya's Kurume residential training camp any time from Friday, the team's management has announced.
In a press statement issued from Tokyo Thursday night, Team Kenya confirmed that the team of six players and team manager Camilyne Oyuayo have been held back in Tokyo "as a procedural precaution after one of the passengers on their Qatar Airways flight to Tokyo from Doha tested positive for Covid-19."
None of the Kenyan players and officials in Tokyo has returned positive results after being tested multiple times, the statement said, noting that this was "testimony to the effectiveness of the team's bubble training camp at Kasarani and careful travel procedures."
"As standard procedure agreed upon by the Government of Japan and the International Olympic Committee (IOC), "following a positive result, potential close contacts are assessed and reviewed by the REAG (Results Advisory Expert Group) and will be confirmed as a close contact by the Japanese health authorities," the statement said.
"The Principles of the Management of Athletes and Team Officials Confirmed as Close Contact stipulate that "close contacts will undergo daily nasopharyngeal-PCR (NPH-PCR) testing, in principal."
"While being managed as a close contact, the individual(s) are allowed to continue to train and compete, as Tokyo 2020 will implement additional precautionary infection prevention measures."
The Kenyan players who were on the same flight as the Covid-19 positive athlete from another country are: Sheila Chanjira, Diana Awino, Vivian Akumu, Leah Wambui, Judith Auma and Stella Nelima.
Besides Team Manager Oyuayo, the team's physiotherapist Samuel Kimotho is in the same group, the statement added.
The women's rugby team already in Kurume City has head coach Felix Oloo and seven players, namely Philadelphia Olando (captain), Cynthia Camilla, Christabel Lindo, Grace Adhiambo, Sinaida Aura, Janet Okello and Sarah Bridgid Oluche.
In a bid to curb mass quarantines in cases of close contact with Covid-19 positive cases, Sports, Culture and Heritage Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed directed that Team Kenya's squad to the Olympic and Paralympic Games travels in small groups.
"The Cabinet Secretary also ensured that all players and officials travelling to the Olympic and Paralympic Games get their two doses of Covid-19 prevention vaccines ahead of travel to Tokyo," the Team Kenya statement said.
"The team's Chef de Mission Waithaka Kioni travelled to Tokyo well ahead of the team to ensure, among others, the smooth registration of Team Kenya.
"Kioni remains optimistic that the "Lionesses" players currently under procedural surveillance in Tokyo will be released soon to join the rest of the team in Kurume City as they have tested negative for the virus multiple times," the statement concluded.
This article was originally published by the Nation. [Photo: Edward Alusa/Team Kenya]