Five days before the Winter Olympics begin in Beijing, the Chinese capital has reported its highest Covid-19 cases in 18 months.
Officials announced that some areas in the capital had been sealed off and residents were being tested after reports of 20 additional cases were made.
Meanwhile, Olympic organizers said 34 new infections were discovered in the closed-loop environment. This included 13 athletes and officials arriving at the airport, according to Chinese officials.
Athletes who test positive for COVID will be put into isolation, and will not be able to compete until they have two negative test results in 24 hours.
Despite China’s severe travel restrictions since the pandemic began, the Winter Olympics are proceeding as planned.
Those arriving in China are required to pass Covid-19 tests before and after landing, as well as daily tests while wearing masks.
The country’s National Health Commission (NHC) reported 20 new cases in Beijing on Sunday – the highest number since June 2020.
Many of the cases have been recorded in Fengtai district, where local officials have locked down housing compounds. Some 2 million people will be tested for the virus in response, the AFP news agency says.
Chinese officials have maintained a zero-care policy against Covid since the first outbreak, implementing harsh restrictions and widespread testing to halt the spread.
Since then, China has reported about 120,000 cases and 4,600 deaths from the Coronavirus – a number much lower than other major countries.
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