The Winter Olympics start February 4 in Beijing, China. With the Covid pandemic still making many people sick, China is being very careful to keep the Olympics safe.
Officials in China are trying hard to keep the coronavirus away from foreign athletes as well as their own citizens. What are they doing during the Olympics, and how will those measures help?
While athletes from all over the world will come to the Olympic games, there are no spectators allowed from other countries. People who live in China will not be able to get tickets to the games unless they are invited. The people who are invited will have to follow strict procedures before, during, and after watching the games. The Chinese government is not allowing people to travel around the country during the games, either.
When athletes and the media arrive in China, they have to live in a “bubble” where no one can come in or out. To enter the bubble, people must be fully vaccinated or spend 21 days in quarantine, or away from others. People in the bubble will have covid testing every day, and they have to wear face masks. No one can leave the bubble once they enter it until they leave the country.
The bubble isn’t just for athletes and the media. Volunteers, cooks, drivers—anyone who supports the games—have to live in the bubble, too. They can’t leave to see their families or sleep in their own homes.
When the athletes travel to stadiums and venues in other parts of China, they will go in special vehicles. People who live in China have been told to avoid the transport vehicles. Even the garbage from the bubble will be kept separately from other garbage in China to keep the virus from spreading. The government and Olympic officials hope that all of these measures will keep the games safe and enjoyable for everyone.
What Do You Think? How are the Chinese government and Olympic officials keeping people safe during the Olympics? Do you think it’s a good idea to have the Olympics while people are still getting Covid? Why or why not?
Photo Credit: to come
