Volunteers working at Olympic venues and in athletes village despite NOT having Covid tests... with one describing the 'joke' system as 'lax beyond belief' in major concern for organisers By Mike Keegan For The Mail On Sunday Published: 22:31 BST, 31 July 2021 | Updated: 22:31 BST, 31 July 2021 Viewcomments Sub-contractors and volunteers are working inside the athletes village at the Tokyo Olympics despite not having Covid tests, potentially putting the world’s best competitors at risk, according to volunteers who have spoken to The Mail on Sunday. They have hit out at the Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (TOCOG), saying monitoring is ‘a joke’ and adding that they have tried and failed to take a test. Large numbers of volunteers and sub-contractors are operating in the village, which sits next to Tokyo Bay. Volunteers have come forward to complain about the testing system at the Olympics Some have revealed they are working in the athletes' village without having taken a test But a volunteer, who did not wish to be named, described the system as ‘lax beyond belief’. They added: ‘It’s a joke and we are all amazed by it. There has been no monitoring.’ Another said: ‘It’s the talk of the volunteers. We’re all shocked by it. Nobody is checking when we go in and my friends who are working at Games venues say the same thing.’ TOCOG say they are ‘using all the tools at our disposal’ to ensure those involved ‘take PCR tests as much as possible’ and add that should they find someone who has not been tested regularly they are told to do so ‘immediately’. The news comes despite athletes being forced to follow strict Covid guidelines at the Games Share or comment on this article: All rights reserved for this news site (dailymail) and under his responsibility