Japan pardons Bombers coach after another positive Covid-19 test
Ugandan national boxing team coach Patrick Lihanda. PHOTO/FILE/COURTESY
What you need to know:
- The authorities argue that it is a “common place” for a person who is quarantined to end up testing positive again.
Ugandan national boxing team coach Patrick Lihanda will not be re-quarantined despite returning another positive Covid-19 test in Japan.
This followed the latest round of tests for the first batch of the Ugandan team that arrived on June 19 in Japan for a training camp ahead of the Olympics games that begin July 23.
According to the city authorities in Izumisano, the coach tested positive again on July 3.
However, the authorities argue that it is a “common place” for a person who is quarantined to end up testing positive again.
‘The coach will not be re-quarantined and contact tracing will not be needed,’’ they said.
"Even if a positive result is obtained, it is expected that no measures such as quarantine measures will be taken,” Japanese websites, mainichi.jp and yahoo.co.jp reported while quoting the country’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare laws.
Lihanda had been kept in quarantine following a positive test for Covid-19 on June 19 upon his arrival.
The coach was then later cleared to join his teammates on July 1 when the authorities determined- he had cleared the release criteria of staying negative for at least 10 subsequent days.
The determination was made per government guidance, which reportedly applies to positive cases with Covid-19 variants, where post-quarantine patients remain positive for an extended period after release, because “they have less risk in infecting others.”
Izumisano City authorities argued that by law, these patients who test positive for a prolonged time after quarantine are free from other quarantine measures stipulated by infectious diseases control laws.
The Ugandan team already in Izumisano comprises five athletes; weightlifter Julius Ssekitoleko, swimmer Atuhaire Ambale and three boxers Shadir Musa, David Semujju and Catherine Nanziri.
The accompanying officials are boxing coaching duo of Patrick Lihanda and Hassan Mulandi, Ssekitoleko’s coach Hakim Musoke and leader David Katende, the assistant general secretary of National Council of Sports.
The next batch of the six left, is expected to depart for Japan on July 12.
