Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics organisers record five new Covid-19 cases

File Photo (Reuters)

New Delhi: The Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics Organizing Committee said on Wednesday (February 9) that a total of five new cases of Covid-19 were reported among games-related personnel on February 8.

Three of the cases were found among new airport arrivals, a notice on the Beijing 2022 official website stated.

Two others were among those already in the 'closed loop' bubble that separates all events personnel from the public, both of whom were classified as either an athlete or team official, the notice added.

More than 30 athletes at the Beijing Olympics are currently in isolation facilities after testing positive for the coronavirus. The average stay in isolation is seven days.

Meanwhile, China has ordered inhabitants of the southern city of Baise to stay home and suspended transportation links due to a surge in infections. The classes have been suspended, non-essential businesses have been closed and mass testing of residents have been ordered. 

Restaurants are only permitted to serve take-out and the traffic lights have been switched to red only to remind drivers to stay home.

China, notably, despite the occasional regional outbreak, has largely brought the pandemic under control through lockdowns, mass testing, case tracing, mask mandates and other strict measures. 

Almost 85 per cent of the population in China is fully vaccinated.

Chinese health authorities say the continuing emergence of outbreaks despite the high vaccination rate justifies the continued implementation of 'zero-tolerance' policies and the quarantining of travellers arriving from abroad.

China has so far reported over 1.06 lakh Covid-19 cases with 4,636 deaths and currently, around 1,400 people are in treatment for the disease.

(With agency inputs)