By DANIELLE GIANNANDREA
Staff Writer
The Winter Olympics are being held in Beijing for the year 2022. This year is spectacularly different for all of the participants, due to the Coronavirus. The participants and foreign people are being kept in a “bubble” to keep the virus from spreading amongst these athletes.
Many of the participants are very overwhelmed with these protocols. The Olympics already put so much stress on the athletes, but taking precautions against this virus is making it harder on them. When entering the Beijing Capital International Airport athletes have to show proof of two negative COVID tests and they have to take a third test once they arrive. After the participants arrive they have to test every day while being in Beijing.
Once the athletes have arrived at the airport in Beijing there are teams there in masks, goggles, gloves, boots, and suits that are handling their luggage. When the participants enter the “bubble” there are guards on standby to make sure that no one leaves or enters their headquarters unless authorized. There is separate transportation for the athletes and they have their own entrances and exits to prevent getting the virus as much as possible.
The Olympians’ family members are to stay at home and watch their performances on social media and television. However, Chinese staff members are allowed to come and help in the Olympics if they get tested multiple times and quarantined twenty-one days after arriving in Beijing.
Anyone who tests positive for COVID that is part of the Olympics gets sent to a hotel all by themself to be isolated and quarantined away from everyone.
This year all participants in the Winter Olympics have to adjust to a new lifestyle due to protocol. Let’s hope these these athletes perform amazingly in the WInter Olympics!