2 yıl önce

Beijing Olympics venue curtails spectators' capacity on Covid fears

China's National Aquatics Centre will allow no more than 20 percent its capacity to attend the Winter Olympics events.

Reuters

Beijing Winter Games organisers say the coronavirus is the biggest challenge in the lead-up to the event.

A major Beijing Winter Olympics venue will only let in one-fifth the spectators it normally holds due to Covid-19 fears.

With less than 100 days to go to the Games, China is bracing for a major challenge as thousands of international athletes and officials descend on its capital after months of strict border controls.

The National Aquatics Centre, the main curling venue, will allow "no more than 1,000 people", 20 percent of its capacity, to attend the 2022 Winter Olympics events, manager Yang Qiyong, told the state-run Global Times this week.

All staff at the venue have received booster Covid-19 jabs, and backup personnel will be deployed to "take over if anyone has an epidemic-related problem", Yang explained.

No spectators from outside China will be allowed to attend and the estimated 2,900 athletes must be fully vaccinated or face 21 days' quarantine upon arrival. They will also be tested daily.

Covid - the biggest challenge

China has managed to restrict domestic infections to small clusters through aggressive lockdowns and mass testing.

However, a nationwide spike in the past month has again put authorities on high alert.

The Beijing Winter Games organisers have said the coronavirus is the biggest challenge in the lead-up to the event.

The event is also facing boycott calls from international campaigners over human rights concerns in China's Xinjiang region as well as in Hong Kong and Tibet.

SOURCE: TRTWorld and agencies