Beijing Winter Olympics: China says first COVID-19 case detected in team member

China has reported the first positive COVID-19 case in a team member of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. In an update on Monday, Jan 24, the Beijing Olympics organizing committee announced that it detected the coronavirus just 11 days before the opening of the games, but did not identify the nationality of the infected patient. The unidentified first case was diagnosed COVID-19 positive via a PCR test conducted on Sunday at Beijing airport, according to several reports. At least three stakeholders also tested positive, the committee announced, adding that a total of 153 athletes landed in Beijing for the 2022 winter games along with 376 stakeholders. 

According to the committee at least two tested COVID-19 positive inside Beijing’s strict Olympic "bubble" where athletes are required to quarantine after their arrival at Beijing airport. The players are not allowed to interact under China’s strict zero covid policy and stringent quarantine system. Despite that the athletes were barred from visiting the Olympics venue or accommodation, two contracted the virus, though it remains unclear if these cases are related to B.1.1.529 Omicron. 

Athletes required to isolate for three weeks

As China prepares for the grand opening of the international sporting event, it has mandated players to strictly isolate for at least three weeks. On Monday, the first case was detected as International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach arrived in Beijing, according to  Xinhua News Agency. He is expected to conduct a one-to-one meeting with the popular Chinese female tennis star Peng Shuai. The 35-year-old had accused Xi Jinping’s Communist Party’s senior member and former Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli of sexual assault. 

Just last week, China detected its first case of the highly transmissible Omicron variant in Beijing city where the Olympics 2022 is being organised. The case was reported in Beijing’s Haidian district, according to the state-run newspaper The Global Times. Shanghai and Guangdong provinces also separately recorded Omicron cases. As many as two cases of Omicron were conformed in Tianjin last week, which prompted the Chinese authorities to enforce a strict lockdown on the city’s 14 million residents. Tianjin is just 150 kilometers away from Beijing, where China will organize the Olympic Games.