Beijing Winter Olympics 2022: China Creates 'Close Loop' Environment To Restrict Spread Of Covid-19

China has gone two steps ahead of what Japan did while conducting Tokyo Games last year, to ensure the safe conduct of the event in the age of the pandemic. 

A worker wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) sprays disinfectant as a preventive measure against COVID-19 in a transport hub next to Yanqing that host the alpine skiing and sliding venues ahead of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics Games on February 3, 2022. | AFP

New Delhi: Beijing Winter Olympics is set to begin on February 4, 2022. Keeping in mind the looming threat coronavirus poses, organisers have created a "close loop" environment.

China has gone two steps ahead of what Japan did while conducting Tokyo Games last year, to ensure the safe conduct of the event in the age of the pandemic. 

A vast "closed loop" environment has been set in place which houses about 60,000 athletes, team officials, media, and volunteers. The games village encompasses three main gated "bubble areas" and is spread over an area of 160km.

Each of these bubbles is centered around a sporting venue and encloses hotels, conference centres, worker dormitories, and other necessary facilities. Each bubble is connected to the sporting venue through designated travel lanes.

A BBC report reveals details about the life inside the bubbles. Everyone has to wear masks everywhere except for when they are in their room or while eating while maintaining social distancing.

Each day, everyone undergoes a PCR deep-throat swab test and it is recorded with the Games’ My2022 App.

Those who are found positive post these tests are isolated and can join back the bubble when they test negative. Quoting BBC, “Chinese officials have specified that their aim isn't zero cases, but zero spread - and so far the system has held up.”

About 300 cases have been reported so far, out of the tens of thousands of people who have arrived. Those who are coming to attend the Beijing Winter Olympics are among the only foreign visitors who have been allowed in the country since the beginning of the pandemic.

To ensure minimal contact from the world outside these bubbles, local volunteers live in dormitory-style accommodation in the bubbles.

They were made to quarantine three weeks before entering the bubbles. Novel tools, including robots, are set in place to reduce human-to-human contact.

Those who are a part of the ‘closed loop’ are not allowed to leave the premises of these bubbles and there is no way of getting out, unlike the Tokyo Olympics.