The municipality of Beijing has been checking the health codes of anyone entering from any other Chinese province and keeping Olympic participants in a “closed-loop” to minimize the risks after outbreaks of the Omicron and Delta variants in the capital.
As of Sunday, 78 cases had been found among Olympics-related arrivals at Beijing Capital International Airport. COVID cases have been reported inside the Olympics bubble also.
Capital Beijing has another reason to be on high alert as after the Winter Olympics, the city will also host the two sessions, China’s high-profile annual legislative gathering in March.
People across the country have been urged to minimize their travel during the Spring Festival, with some places requiring arrivals to enter quarantine if they have travelled from areas classed as high or medium risk.
With less than a week to go for New Year holidays, in line with China’s zero-tolerance policy towards Covid-19, local governments have doubled down on travel restrictions, fearing that the annual holiday mass migration might contribute to the corona-virus spread.
However, their travel policies differ in the level of strictness and are subject to rapid changes that leave travelers confused. They are upset by lack of clarity on varying provincial measures as parts of the nation battle Delta and Omicron variants.
Entry rules differ in the level of strictness and are subject to rapid changes as local authorities implement zero-Covid policy.
