OlymPicks: China Confident Games Will Happen in Spite of Omicron, Olympic Village Undergoes Testing & More
In OlymPicks, we highlight news, gossip, and developments regarding the buildup to Beijing's 2022 Winter Olympics.
Winter Olympics will not be affected by Omicron, says Chinese Foreign Ministry
Headlines this week have been filled with the name Omicron, a new, more contagious COVID-19 variant first found in South Africa, that has already spread to a number of countries and regions, including two confirmed cases in Hong Kong as of Nov 30. Nevertheless, China is confident they’ll be able to manage the new variant, so much so that it won’t force the postponement of the 2022 Games.
"I believe it will definitely pose some challenge to our efforts to prevent and control the virus, but as China has experience in preventing and controlling the coronavirus, I fully believe that China will be able to host the Winter Olympics as scheduled, smoothly and successfully," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian was quoted as saying at a press conference on Tuesday.
While the new variant is of great concern, if the closed-loop management system Beijing has in place for the upcoming Games is anything to go by, it’s a safe bet that, unless some drastic situation occurs due to Omicron or, perhaps even another mutation, the Olympics show will go on.
Over 2,000 volunteers put Olympic Village to the test
The Paralympic and Olympic Village has been undergoing testing with some 2,415 people participanting prior to their official opening according to Xinhua News.
The “all-factor tests,” as they’re termed, saw folks use the check-in system, accommodation, and catering services, as well as the PCR tests for COVID-19, which will be carried out on a daily basis in the village.
The venue is expected to begin trial operations for the Olympics on Jan 23 and will officially open to guests on Jan 27, about a week before the opening ceremony.
Weather forecasting equipment installed ahead of Games
Beijing’s meteorological authority has set up 441 facilities at all three Olympics zones – Beijing, Yanqing, and Zhangjiakou – to boost weather monitoring capability for the Games.
The meteorological service expressed satisfaction with the new systems, saying they were able to detect weather changes by the minute within a 100 meter range during testing. This will better allow for venues to prepare in case of necessary cancellations due to things like strong winds or other issues.
City lays out designated Olympics, Paralympics lanes
The first special street lane for the Winter Olympics was opened Nov 12, with Beijing’s Transport Commission aiming to set up 74.7 kilometers by the end of the month. The lanes, which will encompass 20 roads in the city’s downtown area, will remain open to private traffic until the Games kick off in February.
READ: OlymPicks: A Look at the Zones Part One, Beijing Zone
Images: CGTN, ANI, Xinhua News
