Countdown to Beijing 2022 | Safe service remains top priority as Beijing 2022 approaches

BEIJING, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- With less than a month to go until the Beijing Olympic Winter Games, all possible measures have been put in place in order to ensure a safe and secure Games.

"After years of preparations for the Beijing Olympic Winter Games, I think we are ready to provide the best quality services in medical care, accommodation, catering and other aspects," said Yu Debin, head of the Games Service Department of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (BOCOG).

With Beijing 2022 fast approaching, Yu said the global COVID-19 pandemic must be considered a major threat to the safe operations of the Games.

BOCOG, together with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), recently published the second edition of the Beijing 2022 Playbook that outlines COVID-19 countermeasures for the Games.

For the safety of Olympic-related personnel and the city, a special "closed-loop" system will be implemented. It allows fully vaccinated Olympic-related personnel to enter China without undergoing a compulsory 21-day quarantine.

"The COVID-19 pandemic is spreading globally, and it poses an extra challenge to the safety of the Games and we must take rigorous virus prevention and control measures for Beijing 2022," Yu said.

"We will do our best to strictly follow the 'closed-loop' policy, and I do hope that all of the participants can follow those safety rules. That's the key to guarantee a secure Games," he said.

Beijing and co-host Zhangjiakou held a series of test events during the last couple of months, and the COVID-19 countermeasures went smoothly and effectively during those events, Yu noted.

Yu also paid extra attention to the catering service on offer during Games-time.

"There is an old saying in China: The food is what matters most to the people. When I attended international meetings over the past years, overseas friends remembered not only the gold medals that China won in the 2008 Beijing Summer Games, but also the Chinese food. In Beijing 2022, we can still make them remember," Yu said.

As the Beijing 2022 coincides with China's Spring Festival, organizers aim to offer a homecoming and festive atmosphere for all participants, with various dishes provided to meet the different dietary needs of athletes.

Some local food, including Beijing roast duck and glutinous rice balls, will be offered to Olympic participants to help them learn more about Chinese cuisines, said Yu.

Anti-virus measures such as social distancing and hand disinfection facilities will be in place in dining halls, according to Yu, and all the catering materials are monitored and made traceable under the support of local government and health authorities.

The 2022 Olympic Winter Games will take place between February 4 and 20, with the Paralympic Winter Games following from March 4 to 13.