The Swiss Ice Hockey Federation has confirmed that the Switzerland women’s national ice hockey team has been placed in isolation during the Winter Olympic Games in Italy following a health incident involving one of the players, İdman.Biz reports.
The issue emerged shortly after Switzerland’s opening Group A match on 6 February, when they defeated Czechia 4–3 on penalties. Later that day, the Swiss squad did not take part in the official opening ceremony of the Games in Milan.
In a statement, the federation said that the test result of the affected player was received only after the match against Czechia and shortly before the opening ceremony. The player had been accommodated in a separate room since arriving at the Olympic Village on Monday and was isolated from the rest of the team as soon as symptoms appeared. According to the federation, the player has been symptom-free since Friday morning.
“As a precautionary measure, and after consultations with medical experts, the team was placed in isolation,” the statement said. It also noted that no other Swiss players have shown symptoms so far.
Strict health and safety measures are in force at the Winter Olympics to minimise the risk of infections spreading within the Olympic Village, where athletes from across the world are staying in close proximity.
Switzerland are scheduled to face Canada in their next group match on 7 February, with organisers yet to confirm whether the fixture will be affected by the isolation measures.
