Beijing Winter Olympics: Dozens of athletes and Games-related personnel test positive as low-key torch relay begins

Organisers downplay the risk of the virus, saying the challenge will be spread within the ‘closed loop’

China’s vice premier Han Zheng holds the torch after lighting it during the launch ceremony for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics Torch Relay in front of the Olympic Tower outside of the closed loop bubble on 2 February (Getty Images)

China has stepped up its Covid-19 alert at community level as coronavirus cases are surging in double digit spike, with the government facing heightened pressure amid festivities of Chinese new year and the Winter Olympic Games.

On Wednesday, about 32 new Covid-19 infections were detected among Olympic Games-related personnel on 1 February, the organising committee of the 2022 Winter Olympic Games said.

Separately, China’s National Health Commission (NHC) added 63 new confirmed infections to its tally, including 27 cases in people with travel history.

As many as 17 new cases were detected in the "closed loop" – Olympic bubble that separates all event personnel from the public – and 15 cases of people arriving at the airport.

At least nine athletes and team officials also tested positive, who could miss their events after contracting the virus.

However, the organisers attempted to downplay the concerns of virus spreading among dozens of athletes and personnel related to Games.

About 232 positive tests have been registered among Olympics-related personnel since 23 January, but Olympic medical advisor Brian McCloskey said overall numbers are not worrying for the Olympics.

“Virtually every country in the world at the moment has a higher level of Covid than China,” he said.

“For the first few days in the closed loop the risk is still a bit higher because of the risk of people incubating the disease very slowly,” Mr McCloskey said.

After spending about five days at the Olympics, “the risk comes down to equivalent to the local population risk — very, very low,” he said.

“The main challenge is not the number of cases, it’s the indication of whether there is spread within the closed loop,” said Mr McCloskey, adding that he is focused on spotting connected cases of community transmission that might threaten staging events.

“We are obviously nowhere near that level at present.”

A day after millions of Chinese marked the Lunar new year celebrations, which were dampened by virus restrictions, Beijing kicked off the Winter Olympics torch relay on 2 February which was cut short due to coronavirus pandemic.

More than 1,200 torch bearers will pass the Olympics flame in the three competitions zones during the three-day journey before the final torch-bearer will light the Olympic cauldron on Friday.

(Getty Images)

China’s Luo Zhihuan, the 80-year-old former speed skater who won China’s first winter sport world championship title in 1963, along with a Chinese soldier, who was wounded in a bloody 2020 border clash with India, were among first to carry the symbolic flame.

China is, however, sticking to its formal zero-Covid-19 policy and continues to impose strict lockdowns to keep the virus under control amid threat from the Omicron variant.

People are required to wear masks on public transportation and show with "green" status on a health app to enter most restaurants and stores.

According to NHC’s notice issued in light of Chinese new year, authorities have asked local governments to strengthen testing and report suspicious cases as soon as possible.