The Winter Olympics are set to begin in Beijing on Feb. 4. Here are the strict precautions Chinese organizers have instituted to reduce the risk of viral spread, as well as athletes' experiences as they prepare for the Games.

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How China is preparing for the Olympics

During the Summer Olympics in Tokyo last year, more than 400 coronavirus infections were reported inside the Olympic "bubble," even with heightened precautionary measures, the New York Times reports. Hoping to curtail the risk of a similar outbreak, China has enacted strict measures for the upcoming Winter Olympics in Beijing, which are expected to begin next week.

According to the Times, China has largely approached the pandemic with a "zero Covid" policy, which relies extensively on mass testing, strict border controls, contact tracing, extensive quarantines, and lockdowns to quickly extinguish any outbreaks. However, with the emergence of the highly transmissible omicron variant, this zero-tolerance approach may no longer be possible.

Over the past month, at least major 30 major Chinese cities have reported locally transmitted Covid-19 cases. In addition, at least 20 million people in three cities were under full lockdown as of last week, and many more are under partial lockdowns and undergoing mass testing.

In Beijing, where 24 Covid-19 cases have been reported, authorities have attempted to reduce viral spread as much as possible. Several neighborhoods have been closed off, the Times reports, and people entering or leaving the city now face stricter testing requirements.

At the Games, attendance will be limited to athletes, trainers, coaches, referees, journalists, and staff, who will be required to remain in a tightly managed "closed loop" of hotels and sports venues from the moment they arrive to the moment they leave.

Attendees who are unvaccinated will be required to spend their first 21 days in Beijing in solitary quarantine, the Times reports. Fully vaccinated attendees are not required to quarantine, but they must submit two negative tests before they arrive, be tested daily, and submit health reports to authorities through a mobile app.

If an individual tests positive within the Olympic "bubble," they will be required to stay in a high-security government hospital or quarantine facility until two PCR tests taken at least 24 hours apart can no longer detect the virus—a process that could take weeks, according to the Times.

However, Beijing Olympic organizers and Chinese authorities have recently loosened their Covid-19 testing threshold for Olympic athletes from a cycle threshold (Ct) of 40 to 35. Ct indicates the level of needed magnification to detect Covid-19, so higher Ct values correspond with less infectiousness.

According to Axios, Olympic organizers initially instituted stricter testing standards than those used by many sports leagues in the United States and Europe, which raised concerns that some athletes could test negative in their home countries before testing positive after arriving in China.

Overall, "[a] certain number of positive cases will become a high probability event," said Han Zirong, the secretary general of Beijing’s Winter Games organizing committee, adding that further measures may be added to the Games as needed. "Everything depends on the changes in the global and Chinese epidemic situation, especially the infectiousness of the new mutant strain, omicron."

Organizations, athletes take precautions ahead of the Games

Ahead of the Games, several athletic organizations have encouraged their athletes to take protective measures to reduce their risk of coronavirus infection.

For example, the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee strongly encouraged, but did not require, its athletes to receive booster shots. Similarly, the British Olympic Association recommended boosters for its athletes "where feasible."

Separately, the Netherlands held its national speedskating trials—which is usually a multiday event with tens of thousands of fans—behind closed doors amid a nationwide lockdown. Only teams and select members of the media were allowed inside the rink.

Individual athletes have also been more cautious as they train. For instance, a group of American biathletes training at a high-altitude camp in Austria would only send a single staff member for sporadic shopping runs to limit potential exposure as much as possible.

However, even with athletes taking precautions, several have tested positive for Covid-19 in the few weeks before the Games. Recently, at least six American figure skaters, including three members of the Olympic team, tested positive before the U.S. figure skating championships and had to withdraw from the competition.

"The decision to continue on to the Games means we choose to accept anything that happens due to testing or anything like that," said Zach Donohue, an American ice dancer who is part of the U.S. Olympic figure skating team with his partner Madison Hubbell. "We know going into it that it's high risk. We know going into a grocery store there's risk. It's part of the journey." (Qin/Chang Chien, New York Times, 1/21; Qin/Bradsher, New York Times, 1/12; Saric, Axios, 1/23; Keh/Bradsher, New York Times, 12/27/21; Thomas, New York Times, 1/8)