The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina have arrived, with the Opening Ceremonies taking place on Friday. However, the Olympics are not immune to external issues, particularly those related to health.
On Friday, it was reported that an outbreak of the norovirus had impacted Finland's women's hockey team, per Emily Kaplan of ESPN. Ultimately, 14 players attended a practice, while the others had to quarantine.
On Saturday, Finland will face the United States, which is coming off a 5-1 win over the Czech Republic.
At the same time, NHL players are staying in the Olympic Village, but their loved ones are staying at hotels. However, if this becomes a problem, then those players could relocate.
Olympic norovirus update: Finland women’s hockey had 14 practice today, the rest quarantining. They’re optimistic for Saturday vs USA.
NHL players supposed to stay in village— but there’s hotels for families & some federations say players could stay there if it becomes an issue.
— Emily Kaplan (@emilymkaplan) February 6, 2026
According to the Cleveland Clinic, norovirus is highly contagious and can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and nausea. It is often referred to as a winter vomiting disease.
The Olympics are scheduled from Feb. 6 to Feb. 22.
This is not the first time the Olympics have been marred by public health issues.
In 2016, the Summer Olympics in Rio were hit by the Zika virus epidemic. Organizers and the Brazilian government did daily inspections and fumigation of facilities. However, there was no outbreak amongst the athletes.
In 2020, the Summer Olympics in Tokyo were postponed due to the COVID pandemic. It was rescheduled a year later, but under heavy restrictions. No spectators were allowed; daily testing was available; mask mandates were in place; and social distancing was required.
Similar measures were in place at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, where masks and contact tracing were implemented.

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