4 US Winter Olympic Athletes Quarantined After COVID-19 Exposure

Four U.S. Winter Olympic athletes have been placed in quarantine after being exposed to someone who has been diagnosed with the coronavirus.

Jonathan Finnoff, the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee's chief medical officer, told reporters that one of the athletes subsequently developed symptoms and has been tested for the virus.

The chief medical officer also offered an update on the current situation: "We have a lot of procedures and guidelines in place. We've been working with local, state and federal officials in order to develop policies and procedures that we will follow if somebody does test positive for COVID-19."

The coronavirus pandemic has brought virtually all sport across the world to a halt, raising doubts over whether the 2020 Tokyo Olympics will go ahead as planned.

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has said the Games will go ahead as planned in July:

However, the coronavirus pandemic means some Olympic qualifying events have had to be postponed, while some athletes have been unable to train because facilities are closed.

Spanish Olympic Committee president Alejandro Blanco has called on the Games to be postponed because "sportspeople cannot train" and to go ahead as planned "would result in unequal conditions," per Ed Aarons at the Guardian.

British world heptathlon champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson highlighted the difficulties she has faced and criticised the IOC's current stance:

American long-distance runner Kara Goucher has said athletes are being put at risk:

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics are scheduled to start on July 24 and run until August 9.