Usain Bolt in self-isolation after positive COVID-19 test confirmed

Eight-time Olympic gold medallist Usain Bolt has revealed he's going through a period of coronavirus self-isolation, as the Jamaican Ministry of Health and Wellness confirmed the retired athletics champ tested positive for COVID-19.

The island nation's health officials confirmed in a virtual press conference on Monday that Bolt has formally been notified of the test result, and according to local media in Jamaica, the Minister of Health and Wellness Dr. Christopher Tufton confirmed that they were tracing all those who had been in contact with Bolt.

It came shortly after the Jamaican sprinter shared a video on social media confirming that he was self isolating.

"I'm just waking up, and like everybody else I checked social media which is saying I am confirmed to have COVID-19," Bolt revealed.

"I'm trying to be responsible so I'll stay in and stay away from my friends. I'm having no symptoms so I am going to quarantine myself and wait on the confirmation, to see what is the protocol and how I should go about quarantining myself, from the Minister of Health.

"I've talked to all my friends and told them just to be safe, quarantine by yourself and just to take it easy."

Over the weekend, Bolt had drawn media attention to his 34th birthday party.

Bolt hailed his celebration as the "best birthday ever" in a Tweet on Friday featuring a picture of himself and his baby daughter Olympia.

Exercise greater vigilance

On Saturday, prime minister Andrew Holness warned of a recent surge in cases and urged Jamaicans to "exercise greater vigilance" to prevent the spread of the virus.

"There is a need for consciousness… for conscious personal responsibility on the part of every citizen," he said.

Tokyo 2020 Olympic hopefuls with COVID-19

While Bolt's competition days are well past him, there are several athletes hoping to compete at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 who are known to have contracted the virus.

Two-time Olympic gold medallist basketball star Kevin Durant of the USA tested positive in March, while Russia's Olympic wrestling champion Abdulrashid Sadulaev contracted the illness in May.

Beijing 2008 bronze medallist Novak Djokovic had the virus in June, and 400m world record holder and Olympic champion Wayde van Niekerk caught it in August.

Usain Bolt's final days playing competitive sport

After an unmatched sprinting career that saw Bolt become an eight-time Olympic gold medallist, 11-time world champion, and world record holder in the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay, he retired from athletics after the 2017 world championships.

Justin Gatlin won gold in the 100m at the London event, while Bolt took home bronze. His final act was to be in the 4x100m relay, where he pulled up with a hamstring injury on the final leg.

Following athletics, the Jamaican trained with several professional football teams including Germany's Borussia Dortmund and Australian A-League club Central Coast Mariners.

In 2018, Bolt was offered a two-year contract from Maltese club Valletta, but turned the deal down before announcing in January 2019 that his 'sports life is over'.

On May 17, 2020, he became a father when longtime girlfriend Kasi Bennett gave birth to their first child, a girl named Olympia Lightning Bolt.