February’s Beijing Winter Olympics will be held without overseas spectators and athletes must be fully vaccinated against the coronavirus or face 21 days’ quarantine, the International Olympic Committee said.
The measures, which do allow spectators who are living in mainland China, were revealed with the Games just four months away and after the Tokyo 2020 Olympics similarly juggled with how to go ahead safely during the pandemic.
The Tokyo Games, which were postponed by a year because of the health crisis, mostly took place without any spectators to prevent infections.
Another difference from Tokyo will be that all participants must be vaccinated or will need to do a 21-day quarantine on arrival in the Chinese capital. Athletes who can provide a “justified medical exemption” will have their cases considered.
All attendees will enter a strict “bubble” as soon as they land that covers Games-related areas and stadiums as well as accommodation, transport, catering and the opening and closing ceremonies.
The decisions, announced by the IOC but taken by Chinese organisers, are a foretaste of a package of measures to be released in October designed to prevent the Games from turning into a source of contamination.
All domestic and international games participants and workforce in the bubble, known as the “closed-loop management system”, will be tested daily.
