Beijing, Europe Breif News – Positive covid cases have been reported at the Olympic Games Beijing 2022, amongst athletes and officials.
China detected 45 new cases of COVID-19 among Olympic Games related personnel last Friday. The organizing committee of Winter Games declared 21 cases a day earlier.
Of the total infections, 26 were amongst new arrivals, including 20 athletes or team officials.
The remaining 19 were already in the “closed loop” bubble that separates event personnel from the public, according to a notice on the Games’ official website.
This came despite China’s strict measures to keep the virus out.
Health authorities carry out Covid testing on a daily basis, and impose face masks at all times.
Overseas participants are obliged to enter a bubble upon arrival in China, and remain in it until they leave the country.
Local support workers, including volunteers, cooks and drivers, are also part of a sealed bubble. They have no physical contact with the outside world, even with their own families.
This system applies not just to housing, hospitals and locations meant to serve the Olympics, but also transport links.
All designated vehicles for Olympic personnel hold a special red sign on the front, and local traffic authorities have even advised the public to “avoid contact” if they have a road accident with them.
Diplomatic Boycott
The 2022 Winter Olympics kicked off amid a diplomatic boycott by the US administration over ‘ongoing genocide‘ of Uyghur population.
Several other Western nations have followed suit.
Australia, the United Kingdom and Canada have also joined the United States in a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, the leaders of the three countries said in a joint statement.
The move nonetheless infuriated Beijing, which hinted at retaliation.
China has said Australia, Britain and the US will “pay the price” for boycotting February’s Winter Olympics in Beijing.
“The United States, Britain and Australia have used the Olympics platform for political manipulation,” Beijing further added.
