COVID-19 cases hit the Paris 2024 Olympic Village on Tuesday as five members of the Australian women’s polo team tested positive days before the start of the event.

Australia’s chief de mission Anna Meares said the COVID-19 cases were only confined to the polo team. However, the players are cleared to practice whenever they feel fit enough.

“We treat Covid no differently to any other respiratory illness, but we want to ensure that we have our protocols working as well, and dealing with these illnesses and minimizing them is a part and parcel of every Olympic Games,” she said on Wednesday.

The protocols at the Paris 2024 Olympic Village include isolating from other team members outside of training and wearing masks. The remaining team members have been tested, according to Meares.

“More broadly, we have our respiratory illnesses protocol in place and we have reinforced with all of the teams as they arrive into our village,” she said. “Two basic rules around that really simple hygiene practices are effective. And if you are feeling unwell or have any symptoms, get tested.”

The French government and the World Health Organisation (WHO) have asserted that although COVID-19 is there in the country; the cases are way lesser than during the peak. “There is no major cluster risk,” Health Minister Frédéric Valletoux said. “Of course, Covid is there. We have seen a small peak (in cases), but we are a long way from what we saw in 2020, 2021, 2022,” he added.