By Sean Miyaguchi,
With the Beijing Winter Olympics set to open Friday, athletes and media from around the world have converged on the Chinese capital under coronavirus control measures unprecedented for a major international sporting event.
Having achieved one of the world's lowest COVID-19 death rates per capita with strategies including spot lockdowns and heavy restrictions on international arrivals, Chinese authorities are determined to ensure the games, running through Feb. 20, do not contribute to spreading the virus.
To that end, the games are taking place behind closed doors while all accredited visitors arriving from overseas must stay inside the Olympic "closed-loop management system" comprising sports venues, media centers and hotels.
All up, more than 60,000 people are living inside the Olympic bubble, with local volunteers and staff, including cooks, cleaners and drivers, making up the bulk of the population.
Fences and security guards ensure the integrity of the bubble, with those inside only able to move from one games site to another using official Olympic vehicles.
Accredited visitors traveling from central Beijing to the alpine sports hubs in Yanqing and Zhangjiakou ride a new automated high-speed train, using carriages isolated from general passengers.
Arrivals at Beijing Capital International Airport immediately undergo a nasal PCR screening before transferring by bus to their designated media hotels, where they must wait inside their rooms until the test results are confirmed.
Further daily PCR tests involving a swab from inside the throat are also part of the coronavirus safety regime, which is somewhat familiar to international media members who also covered the first Olympics during the pandemic last summer in Tokyo.
American journalist Steve Futterman said the restrictions, though noticeably tighter than those in Tokyo, would not have a big impact on his work covering the games for U.S. outlet CBS News.
"You're so busy, you don't have time to go out, although it's nice to have the option," Futterman said.
"The big difference is that here, it's a real bubble, while in Tokyo it was more like the honor system."
Rules at the Tokyo Olympics made it possible for overseas visitors to move about after quarantining for 14 days.
An official from the Tokyo Olympics said, "The difference between China, touting 'zero corona' and Japan is evident in their playbooks."
Beijing's seriousness in controlling the virus can be seen in the handling of those who have had close contact with people testing positive.
Athletes may still be able to compete and train under certain conditions but must undergo two nasal swab tests a day, 12 hours apart.
Tournament officials other than athletes and coaches whose roles can be handled by someone else will be ordered to an isolation facility for 21 days.
For the tens of thousands of locals working and volunteering inside the bubble, the strict rules will extend beyond the Olympic closing ceremony. Once they have finished their games-related duties, they are required to spend three weeks in quarantine before they can rejoin the outside world.
Related coverage:
Olympics: 1st Japanese athlete tests positive for COVID-19 in Beijing
Olympics: U.S.-born freeskier Eileen Gu to be China's headliner in Beijing
Artist behind Bird's Nest laments use of Olympic venue for propaganda
