Can the Beijing Winter Olympics bubble stop the highly transmissible Omicron variant? This will be the ultimate test of China’s zero-Covid strategy. China is where COVID-19 originated, yet, the Communist Party claims its handling of the virus is superior because of its authoritarian political system.
To limit the spread of infection, it is sealing the entire Games inside what authorities have called a “closed loop system” — a bubble completely cut off from the rest of the city.
The Beijing bubble is welcoming an estimated 11,000 people from around the world — and they will be shuttling through three competition zones up to 111 miles (180 kilometers) apart. The amount of security required to secure the bubble is staggering.
Daily COVID-19 infections among athletes and team officials at the Beijing Winter Olympics jumped to 19 on January 28, 2022 from two a day earlier, as Games organizers warned of more cases in coming days. Including the athletes and officials, 36 Games-related personnel were found to be infected — 29 when they arrived at the Beijing airport and seven already in the “closed loop” bubble that separates event personnel from the public, the organizing committee said in a statement on January 29, 2022.