23 Jan 2022 – As the Olympic Games-time period started today, 23 January, the closed-loop system came into effect officially. Daily testing and additional COVID-19 countermeasures have already been in place since the beginning of January to protect the safety of all Games participants and local communities.

The first statistics, reporting the results of the pre-Games period (4-22 January) testing, have been published today, and will be followed by daily reports, including the previous day’s figures. They include the airport testing conducted at Beijing Capital International Airport and the screening testing of Games participants inside the closed loop.

Some 2,586 tests have been conducted at Beijing airport over the pre-Games period, with 39 confirmed positive cases.

In the closed loop, 336,421 tests have been carried out, and 33 confirmed positive cases have been detected.

All the people involved have been promptly isolated and close contacts has been identified, in accordance with the measures described in the Beijing 2022 Playbooks, showing that the system in place is working successfully, protecting the Games participants inside the closed loop and the Chinese population outside the closed loop.

Daily testing

In addition to pre-departure tests in their own country and testing upon arrival in Beijing, all Games participants are subject to daily PCR testing run by medical personnel present in the accommodation facilities, including the Olympic Villages and at the Olympic venues.

As a precaution, those receiving a positive result from airport testing followed by a negative confirmation test will need to receive another negative result from an additional test prior to entering the closed loop. This measure has been established in order to avoid people being released with a false negative from the confirmatory test.

Those with complex cases, including potential cases of persistent positive results and non-infectious Games participants, can have their cases reviewed by the Medical Expert Panel (MEP) to facilitate their participation in the Games. Additionally, COVID-19 Liaison Officers (CLOs) can ask for support from the MEP on any potential complex cases.

Beijing 2022 Playbooks

The Beijing 2022 Playbooks are the basis to ensure that all Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games participants and the people of China stay safe and healthy for the Games.

They have been produced jointly by Beijing 2022, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), in close collaboration with the Chinese Government and relevant authorities.

They build upon the experience of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, the International Federations and sports event organisers who have enabled other successful large-scale events to take place, and upon the needs of the athletes.

The closed-loop management system and daily testing are among the COVID-19 countermeasure principles that will ensure that the Games take place successfully and safely. A vaccination policy has also been established and states that, in order to be allowed directly in the closed-loop system without quarantine, Games participants must be fully vaccinated at least 14 days prior to their departure to China.