Beijing Winter Olympics Decides Who Can Attend The Games

Athletes arriving in Beijing for next year’s Winter Olympics and Paralympic Games will face a 21-day quarantine order unless fully vaccinated against COVID-19, while only mainland China spectators will be permitted to attend.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) confirmed the decision in a recent meeting, where they also stated all athletes fully vaccinated will go into a ‘closed-loop management system’ when they arrive for the Games.

An IOC statement read: “All athletes and Games participants who are fully vaccinated will enter the closed-loop management system upon arrival.”

“Games participants who are not fully vaccinated will have to serve a 21-day quarantine upon arrival in Beijing.

“Athletes who can provide a justified medical exemption will have their cases considered.

“All vaccines recognised by WHO (World Health Organisation) or related international organisations, or approved officially by the countries or regions concerned, will be accepted,” the statement read.

The organisers also announced tickets for the Games will be exclusively sold to spectators residing in mainland China, and that meet the country’s COVID-19 protocols.

The statement added: ‘This will facilitate the growth of winter sports in China by giving those spectators a first-hand Olympic and Paralympic experience of elite winter sports, as well as bringing a favourable atmosphere to the venues.”

However, the decision will instil a financial burden on Beijing, with economists estimating the Tokyo games suffered at least $800 million in ticketing losses due to empty stands, with an overall debt of $30 billion.

Yet the losses aren’t just confined to the Summer Olympics or a COVID-19 landscape, the Sochi Winter Olympics in 2014 cost $21.89 billion, leading to a cost overrun of 289%. 

Although China’s mainland population is estimated at over 1.4 billion people, a lack of international spectators will continue to take away revenue from hospitality, tourism and accommodation businesses that thrive during the world event.