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Feb 5, 2022 - Sports

In photos: Inside the COVID-19 Winter Olympics

Erin Doherty
Medical staff wearing personal protective clothing work at the National Indoor Stadium on February 3, 2022 in Beijing, China.

Medical staff wearing personal protective clothing work are present at the National Indoor Stadium on Feb. 3 in Beijing. Photo: Carl Court/Getty Images

Athletes and attendees of the Beijing Winter Olympics face strict COVID-19 protocols, including regular testing and staying in a "closed-loop system," to prevent spread of the virus.

Why it matters: The Beijing bubble, meant to shut off the outside world entirely, is the strictest ever created for a global sporting event, Axios' Jeff Tracy reports.

State of play: Among the protocols, masks — that are N95 or of "equivalent standard of protection" — are required at all times except when "training, competing, eating, drinking, sleeping," or when alone.

  • Athletes and Olympic personnel face daily screening tests for COVID, and anyone who tests positive will be taken to an isolation facility or a hospital.
  • Spectators are also not permitted to shout, cheer or sing, according to the Olympic Playbook.
In photos:
A media personnel speaks to Olympic workers in hazmat suits work at a credential validation desk.
A member of the media speaks to Olympic workers in hazmat suits at a credential validation desk at the Beijing Capital International Airport on Feb. 2. Photo: Annice Lyn/Getty Images
A security official mans a gate into the closed loop system at the Main Media Centre on February 2, 2022 in Beijing, China.
A security official staffs a gate into the closed-loop system at the Main Media Center on Feb. 2 in Beijing. Photo: Carl Court/Getty Images
A chef wears a protective face mask with a shield as he prepares breakfast at a hotel in the closed loop on February 04, 2022 in Beijing, China.
A chef wears a protective face mask with a shield as he prepares breakfast at a hotel in the closed-loop on Feb. 4. Photo: Annice Lyn/Getty Images
A medical staff in personal protective equipment collects a daily mandatory COVID-19 swab sample from member of the media on February 04, 2022 in Beijing, China.
A medical staff member in personal protective equipment collects a daily mandatory COVID-19 swab sample from a member of the media on Feb. 4 in Beijing. Photo: Annice Lyn/Getty Images
Venue staff decked in personal protective equipment walk in the compound of the National Stadium on February 04, 2022 in Beijing, China
Venue staff decked in personal protective equipment walk in the compound of the National Stadium on Feb. 4 in Beijing. Photo: Annice Lyn/Getty Images
ealthcare workers are seen during women's 3000m speed skating race during the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at the National Speed Skating Oval .
Health care workers are seen during the women's 3000m speed skating race during the Winter Olympics at the National Speed Skating Oval. Photo: Valery Sharifulin/TASS via Getty Images

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