Beijing Toughens Travel Rules Ahead Of Winter Olympics
As China prepares to host the Winter Olympics in Beijing, the capital of the country has reported the first case of the Omicron variant of COVID-19.
After the discovery of the case of a new strain of coronavirus, the authorities have imposed new rules for travelling to curb the spread of the virus. In order to travel to Beijing, people need to show the COVID-19 test report taken within 72 hours of arrival, according to AP.
The new rule for travelling to Beijing will come into effect from Saturday, January 22. The authorities have also closed some of the classes and ordered online classes for students ahead of the winter Olympics. The authorities have advised the people to spend their Lunar new year in their cities rather than travelling back to their hometowns. Chinese authorities have also closed tourist places, including sections of the Great Wall to control the spread of the virus.
Omicron case in Beijing
Beijing reported the first case of Omicron strain on Saturday and after the detection of the case, the places and people visited by the infected person have been tested. The person who has been infected with the Omicron variant lives and works in Haidian and has not travelled outside of Beijing for the past two weeks, AP reported citing state media. The apartment complex and office of the infected person has been sealed by the authorities.
The Winter Olympics is scheduled to begin in Beijing on February 4. For the winter Olympics, athletes, officials, staff and journalists need to stay in a closed-loop bubble and they will not be allowed to have contact with people from outside. Furthermore, they need to get tested every day during the winter Olympics. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Chinese authorities have used a “zero-COVID” policy to curb the spread of coronavirus in the country. The Chinese authorities have been imposing lockdowns and announcing travelling restrictions in the cities where the cases of COVID-19 are detected.
COVID-19 situation in China
According to the National Health Commission China, on January 16, the Chinese mainland reported 223 new COVID-19 cases, which include 60 imported cases. So far, China has reported 105,087 COVID-19 cases in the country. The number of fatalities reported due to coronavirus is 4636 and 96,957 people have been cured of the virus. According to the National Health Commission China, nearly 2.92 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered on the Chinese mainland.