The participants in the Olympic event will be confined in a “closed bubble”.
The Beijing Winter Olympics (from February 4 to 20) will be, according to its organizers, the sporting event with the highest sanitary restrictions since the beginning of the COVID-19 epidemic.
The participants in the Olympic event will be confined in a “closed bubble”, more impermeable than the one imposed by the organizers of the last Summer Games in Tokyo-2020 (held last July).
What is a ‘closed bubble’?
China has successfully eradicated the epidemic in its territory since mid-2020, thanks to a ‘zero COVID’ strategy consisting of taking all possible measures to limit the spread: quarantines, confinements, tests, reduction of international flights, monitoring applications through the smartphones…
The organizers of the Winter Games will apply the same severity, isolating the participants in what they call a “closed bubble”, without any contact with the rest of the population.
Athletes, referees, delegations, volunteers … thousands of people will be locked in this bubble as soon as they arrive in Beijing and until their departure from the Chinese capital.
In Tokyo last summer, journalists, for example, were able to leave the bubble after two weeks and mingle with the local population.
On the other hand, in Beijing no one will be able to get out of the bubble for the entire duration of the Games. This includes accommodation, meals and travel between the three competition areas, sometimes 180 kilometers apart.
People in the bubble who use the high-speed train to travel between the Olympic zones will, for example, have to occupy a car separate from the rest of the passengers.
Who will be in that bubble?
Almost everyone.
In Tokyo, the athletes were also in a bubble, but there was some flexibility with other participants, such as the army of volunteers who ensured the smooth running of the event.
In short, the Tokyo Games also had their bubble, but with holes, while in Beijing, athletes, journalists, cleaning agents, cooks, drivers … everyone will be isolated in the bubble without the possibility of leaving.
The organizers have not given the number of people affected, but only with athletes will exceed 3,000 individuals.
Another difference with respect to Tokyo, where the tests were held in almost empty pavilions and stadiums, is that Beijing will allow the presence of the public, although the number will probably be limited and the attendance of people from abroad is prohibited.
The public will not be in the ‘closed bubble’, so the organizers must ensure that they do not mix with athletes and delegations.
People residing in China (athletes, volunteers, etc.) will have to quarantine when they leave the bubble.
Which are the rules?
This time, which did not happen in Tokyo, all participants must have the complete vaccination schedule (two doses) or complete a 21-day quarantine upon arrival in China.
The organizers do not impose the souvenir dose, but the International Olympic Committee (IOC) “strongly encourages” to receive the third dose before traveling to the Chinese capital.
Inside the bubble, everyone will undergo a daily coronavirus test and must wear a mask in all circumstances.
In Tokyo, athletes were also controlled daily and had to go up to the podium with a mask, although afterwards they were able to take it off briefly for photos, a measure that should be redirected in Beijing.
The IOC also advises participants to “minimize physical interactions, such as hugging, high-fiving or shaking hands”.
The organization has warned that anyone who does not respect the rules may be expelled from the Games.
Diplomats based in the Chinese capital have declared to the AFP that as a result of these strict restrictions, they fear that they will not be able to offer adequate help, if necessary, to their nationals who are within Chinese territory. (I)
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