Having been largely sealed off from the world for two years, Beijing is bracing itself for the arrival of thousands of foreign Olympians, officials, journalists and support staff -- including from countries where the highly transmissible Omicron variant is raging.
Whereas the NBA"bubble" housed about 350 players from 22 teams, the Beijing bubble is welcoming an estimated 11,000 people from around the world -- and they will be shuttling through three competition zones up to 111 miles apart. "All cases so far are within 5 days of arrival and are therefore assessed as being imported . No infection has occurred within the Closed Loop," the statement said.
The three zones are linked by high-speed train and highways. To maintain the separation, even the train cars are divided, and the closed-loop buses are given specially marked lanes. Drivers not part of the Olympics who cross into these lanes will be fined. Anyone entering the bubble must be fully vaccinated, or face an additional 21-day quarantine upon arrival in Beijing before being allowed into the bubble.
The stakes for catching Covid are extremely high. Participants who test positive will be immediately removed from the Games. Those who are symptomatic will be sent to a designated hospital for treatment, while asymptomatic cases will be taken to an isolation facility. They won't be allowed to return to the bubble until all symptoms disappear and they test negative twice in a row -- meaning they'll almost certainly miss their event.
The Chinese staff and volunteers are required to stay throughout the event -- meaning they will miss the Lunar New Year holiday. It's the biggest festival in China and the most important time for families to get together -- likened by some to Christmas, Thanksgiving and New Years combined. To exit the bubble, they must also undergo 21 days of strict quarantine at a designated facility.
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