Strict and tight epidemic prevention and control is the most important prerequisite for the success of the upcoming Beijing Winter Olympics, said Party Secretary of Beijing and chairman of Beijing 2022 Cai Qi on Monday. He also stressed that the construction of the venue facilities should be properly completed in the final stage.
We have entered the era of the Beijing Winter Olympics, and epidemic prevention and control are the top priority at the moment, Cai said during his inspection of the competition venues on Monday.
“Events preparation, venue renovation and operation must be closely integrated with the epidemic prevention and control measures. Each venue should set up a command center to coordinate the relevant work,” he said.
Most of the venues for the Beijing Winter Olympics are converted from existing stadiums in the city. The National Speed Skating Oval, dubbed “Ice Ribbon,” is the only new competition venue constructed for the Beijing Winter Olympics. The venues have implemented strict epidemic prevention requirements, taking zoning management, physical isolation and other ways to avoid cross-gathering of personnel.
The previous National Aquatics Center “Water Cube” has been renovated into “Ice Cube” and is preparing to host the 2021 World Wheelchair Curling Championship, which will be an early test for the venue’s epidemic prevention system.
It is necessary to apply “a policy for a pavilion,” and implement closed-loop management, in order to cut off all possible means of virus transmission during the Games, Cai said.
Cai said the Games aims to run “simply, safely and wonderfully.”
While the Tokyo Olympics have proved that a major international event can be held successfully during an epidemic, Beijing has a greater commitment to controlling infections than Tokyo, which reported thousands of cases daily during the Games. Many health experts are confident in their ability to prevent the resurgence of the epidemic in Beijing and surrounding areas during the Beijing Games.
Experts told the Global Times that the Beijing Games might be able to have a domestic audience, as many events will be held outdoors. As for indoor events, spectators are likely to enter and leave the stadiums through different channels to completely separate audience from athletes and working staff to lower infection risks.
The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics is schedule to take place from February 4 to February 20, 2022.
A Beijing resident takes a selfie in front of a countdown clock for the Beijing Winter Olympics 2022 on Monday, 200 days ahead of the opening of the Games, in the Wangfujing shopping street. Photo: cnsphoto
