CN "Beijing Olympic Athletes to Quarantine for 21 Days if Unvaccinated"

Unvaccinated Participants Practically Barred... "Booster Shot Recommended"
Handshakes and Hugs Also Prohibited... "Departure Within 48 Hours After Final Match"

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Chinese authorities announced that unvaccinated athletes participating in the Beijing Winter Olympics will be quarantined for 21 days. This is interpreted as a measure to effectively ban unvaccinated athletes from competing in order to prevent the spread of the Omicron variant.

According to China's state-run Xinhua News Agency on the 14th, the Beijing Winter Olympics Organizing Committee released a second playbook the previous day outlining quarantine policies for athletes and coaching staff participating in the Olympics. According to the playbook, all Olympic participants must complete vaccination at least 14 days before arriving in China; otherwise, they will be quarantined for 21 days. This is effectively a ban on unvaccinated athletes competing.

The organizing committee stated in the playbook, "Vaccination is not mandatory, but only those who have completed vaccination will be exempt from the 21-day quarantine and will be subject to the 'closed-loop management system'." They also emphasized, "We strongly recommend all Olympic participants receive an additional booster shot."

Additionally, all participants must install the Olympic-exclusive application called 'Dongao Tong' on their mobile phones at least 14 days before arriving in China and upload their health status daily. During the Olympic period, they must also undergo daily COVID-19 nucleic acid testing.

Physical contact such as handshakes or hugs is strictly prohibited, only designated transportation may be used, and all participants must wear medical masks. Athletes and officials can only enter through Beijing Capital International Airport, where their temperature will be taken immediately upon arrival; if it remains above 37.3 degrees Celsius, a COVID-19 test will be conducted. Furthermore, the organizing committee added that all athletes must leave China within 48 hours after their last competition.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.