Beijing organizers say there’s no need for COVID-19 lockdown during Winter Olympics

Jan. 11 (UPI) — Organizers of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing said Tuesday that there will be no COVID-19 lockdown during the quadrennial Games, which are scheduled to begin in a little more than three weeks.

The Beijing organizing committee said the coronavirus situation is “under control” and there is no call for a lockdown in the Chinese capital during the event.

Concern about rising cases fueled by the Omicron variant have prompted some to call for a lockdown in Beijing, but organizers said the closed-loop “bubble” that’s already in place is enough.

Organizer Huang Chun, who’s in charge of pandemic prevention efforts, said that Beijing won’t need to be sealed off for the Games next month and that such a move is “off the table” for now.

Chinese officials say they have taken numerous steps to make the Olympics safe for athletes, staff and news media. China sealed off the “bubble” for staffers last week and it won’t reopen until after the Games end.

Some have expressed concern that Beijing’s closed-loop system may be vulnerable to imported coronavirus cases, and question whether a detailed emergency plan is in place to contain outbreaks.

Beijing attempted to discourage the local population from traveling during the holiday season.

The 2022 Winter Olympics are scheduled to run from Feb. 4 to Feb. 20. The Paralympic Games begin in March.

Also on Tuesday, the government locked down a third city — Anyang, with 5.5 million people — to stem the spread of the Omicron variant.