Three athletes participating in Beijing Winter Olympics training activities have tested positive for Covid-19, according to Chinese officials, who have put the country on high alert against the coronavirus ahead of the Games. With the games slated to begin in February, Beijing 2022 organisers have left nothing to chance, barring admission to the city and requiring daily virus testing for thousands of athletes who would be confined in a “closed-loop” bubble.
Officials stated last week that one of the athletes, a foreign luger, tested positive at the airport upon entering the nation and was transported to a quarantine hotel alongside another sick colleague despite the fact that they had no symptoms. However, a third individual, another luger and a close contact of the prior instances, has tested positive, according to Zhao Weidong, a member of the Olympic organising committee.
Read also: Tibetan bodies resent awarding Winter Olympics to Beijing
At a news briefing, Zhao claimed the newest patient is asymptomatic and has been moved to a quarantine centre for “medical observation.” According to Zhao, authorities are continuing to “test individuals, products, and the environment, as well as perform health monitoring and clean the environment.”
Thousands of athletes are anticipated to come on Beijing for the games, which will take place from February 4 to 20, posing one of the most significant tests to China’s zero-Covid goal. Beijing officials enforced tight new controls on entering guests this week, demanding all visitors to provide a negative Covid test result from the previous 48 hours and cancelling flights from high-risk locations within the nation.
Through widespread testing, tough lockdowns, and border controls that split some families and prevented many from returning to work from outside the nation, China has maintained its domestic case numbers significantly lower than most other countries. The Olympics will put China’s ability to fight the epidemic to the test, with organisers pledging largely empty venues and excluding fans from outside the nation.
Read also: Beijing residents on trips asked to delay return amid Covid surge
Vaccinations are required for all participating athletes and venue employees, and tens of thousands of people in higher-risk businesses around the city are checked numerous times a week. The coronavirus, according to the Beijing Winter Games organisers, is the largest issue in the run-up. International protesters have called for a boycott of the event due to human rights issues in China’s Xinjiang province, as well as Hong Kong and Tibet.
