RECORD-BREAKING NUMBER OF COVID CASES IN TOKYO SINCE START OF OLYMPICS

Authorities in Tokyo have announced a record-breaking spike in positive Covid-19 cases since the start of the 2020 Olympic Games.

On Tuesday, the Japanese capital recorded 2,848 new cases. It topped its earlier record of 2,520 daily cases set on 7 January 2021.

The Olympic Games was postponed last year due to the pandemic. It started last week without crowds in attendance at any of the venues. While there aren't any crowds, there are still about 11,000 athletes walking around as well as thousands of officials.

Japanese Prime Minister, Yoshihide Suga, said he was not considering suspending the games despite Tokyo's increase in Covid-19 cases.

"There is no worry about that", Suga said, according to the Associated Press.

The Prime Minister has urged local supporters to avoid all non-essential outings, and asked the general public to "please watch the Olympic Games on TV at home."

The Delta variant has put previous Covid-free countries on the back foot as it has spread since it was first encountered in India.

Australia, who announced that they were Covid free earlier this year, has seen spikes in both Melbourne and Sydney, with both cities currently in lockdown. Sydney's lockdown has just been extended for another period.

Image credit: Inside The Games