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SCIO press conference on latest progress of 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games preparations and updates on Yanqing and Zhangjiakou competition zones

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Russia Today:

I would like to ask about the details of the work for foreign journalists based in Beijing for the upcoming Olympic Games. In particular, I'd like to ask if the journalists who will work in the circled Olympic bubble will be able to move between Beijing, Yanqing, and Zhangjiakou, or whether they will need to stay only in one cluster. Also, I'd like to ask, will Beijing-based journalists be quarantined before and after Olympics, and if so for how many days? Thank you.

Zhao Weidong:

I will answer this question. All registered journalists are concerned about this question. Actually, our first editions of COVID-19 playbook for the 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics have clarified these questions. Specifically speaking, the registered journalists under the closed-loop management can move freely between Beijing, Yanqing, and Zhangjiakou. Considering the still severe and complex global pandemic, in order to prevent possible epidemic spread and ensure the health and safety of all participating parties, according to China's epidemic prevention and control experience and relevant requirements, we have researched meticulously with the IOC and the IPC and decided to install a closed-loop management system for all Games participants. On Oct. 25, we published the first editions of the Beijing 2022 Playbooks with the IOC and the IPC. The second edition will be released this month. All the efforts are to ensure that the Beijing Olympics be held under the safest conditions.

The closed-loop management will not limit the free movement of any registered person inside the closed-loop. Registered participants can move freely inside the closed-loop area, traveling in dedicated vehicles between games venues and accommodation facilities and between the three competition zones of Beijing, Yanqing, and Zhangjiakou.

We will provide people registering for the Beijing Winter Olympics with two efficient means of transportation to travel fast between the three competition zones and between venues within the same competition zone. The following are major modes of transportation:

First is the Beijing-Zhangjiakou high-speed railway that connects three competition zones. Registered personnel will travel by railway free of charge across three competition zones during the Winter Olympics. The high-speed railway is designed to reach 350 km per hour. The journey between Beijing and Yanqing takes about 20 minutes. The travel time between Beijing and Zhangjiakou will be about 50 minutes. We will also increase its train frequency to provide sufficient transportation capacity to meet demands of various stakeholders during the Games.

The second is the shuttle bus service. We will offer inter-zone transport by shuttle buses and a 24-hour shuttle bus service between three competition zones to meet transportation demands of the press and other stakeholders beyond operating times of the high-speed railway. In addition, you may have noticed that we have marked new lanes on some roads in Beijing. Participants will use these special lanes to shorten travel time between destinations effectively.

Apart from these, you may also use a toll card to take taxis, satisfying personalized transportation demands within the closed-loop. These taxis will be used by drivers designated by the BOCOG and will only travel within the permitted areas and between venues on the list of destinations within the loop. This is my answer to your question regarding movement between the three competition zones.

While regarding your question about going out of the loop after the Games, there are two situations. On the one hand, for those inbound personnel who are registered for the Beijing Winter Olympics and to leave China immediately after the Games, the BOCOG will provide nucleic acid testing service and related certificate for international travel within 48 hours before their departure. Also, a dedicated team will assist them in completing health declaration procedures within 24 hours before their departure. On the other hand, those inbound personnel who will stay after the Games to work or live in China will be placed in centralized quarantine according to specific circumstances. They can only leave the loop after the quarantine is over. Experts will decide the periods of quarantine based on different workplace scenarios. Related information can be found in the playbook for COVID-19 countermeasures. To sum up, if people are to stay in China after going out of the closed-loop, we will require them to be quarantined for some time to ensure safety in terms of epidemic prevention.