China’s state-run Global Times on Monday celebrated the 2022 Winter Olympics’ first day without a new positive Chinese coronavirus infection since the Games began on February 4 in Beijing.
“As the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics marched into its 10th day [February 14], it was the first day where no confirmed positive COVID-19 [Chinese coronavirus] case had been notified within the closed loop management of the Games, and the event has reported no cluster infection so far,” the newspaper reported on February 15.
A daily coronavirus update published by the official website of the 2022 Winter Olympics revealed health officials detected one new Chinese coronavirus case within the “closed-loop” of the Games on February 14. Event officials seemingly discounted the infection — as indicated by the Global Times article on Monday — as it was recorded in a non-Olympic “stakeholder,” i.e. a person who is neither an Olympic athlete nor a team official.
A worker prepares to administer a COVID-19 test at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2022, in Beijing. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
“In the closed loop during the same time, 69,795 PCR tests had been taken, 6,019 by athletes and team officials and 63,776 by other stakeholders. After confirmatory tests, one confirmed positive case from other stakeholders had been notified,” the February 14 press release read.
An athlete trains ahead of the men’s freestyle skiing big air qualification round of the 2022 Winter Olympics, Monday, Feb. 7, 2022, in Beijing. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
The Global Times on February 14 may have referred to the 2022 Winter Olympics’ coronavirus count from February 13 — the Games’ ninth day — as the event’s daily coronavirus update indicated zero new coronavirus infections were detected within the closed-loop on Sunday.
Organizers of the 2022 Winter Olympics created a “closed-loop management system” for the Games in an effort to prevent transmission of the Chinese coronavirus among event participants and within the greater population of Beijing, which is home to nearly 22 million residents. The “closed-loop” or bubble was designed to separate all Olympic athletes, team staff, and other related personnel from the rest of Beijing for the duration of the Games, which are set to last through February 20.
Chinese state media on Monday boasted of the system’s alleged success in preventing virus transmission despite several reports over the past ten days indicating new, locally transmitted infections of the Chinese coronavirus have been repeatedly detected within the Olympic bubble. Games officials recorded a new Chinese coronavirus infection within the “closed-loop system” on February 12 among either an Olympic athlete or team member (the report did not specify which), a daily coronavirus update by the official 2022 Winter Olympics website revealed.
“In the closed loop during the same time, 69,558 PCR tests had been taken, 6,240 by athletes and team officials and 63,318 by other stakeholders. After confirmatory tests, one confirmed positive case from athletes and team officials had been notified,” the February 12 update read.
An NBC News report on February 8 revealed 48 athletes and trainers had contracted the Chinese coronavirus while inside the Olympic bubble since the start of the Games. Beijing health officials said 119 people “involved” with the 2022 Winter Olympics tested positive for the Chinese coronavirus between January 27 and January 31. At least some of these 119 cases were detected among Olympic athletes or staff inside the “closed-loop system,” though Games officials did not disclose exact figures.