Photo: CFP

Winter Olympic-related personnel are required to undergo two nucleic acid tests within 96 hours before taking flights to China, and their first entry spot must be Beijing Capital International Airport if they choose commercial flights, the Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympics Winter Games said. 

Zhang Liang, head of the arrival and departure department of the organizing committee made the remarks at a press conference held on Friday. He noted that Olympic-related personnel are required to undergo a 14-day closed-loop health monitoring period and be fully vaccinated 14 days before their departure to China.  

A green code is needed when boarding, which will be guaranteed after two negative nucleic acid test results taken within 96 hours, Zhang said.

Zhang said the Beijing organizing committee has determined the flight principle of "chartered flights and temporary flights come first, and commercial flights are secondary," regarding the needs of epidemic prevention.

Specifically, an Olympic-involved group may organize charter flights on their own or jointly with others. They will also be able to take temporary flights with the same ticketing process as commercial flights, but only for Olympic-involved people, Zhang said. 

Zhang stressed that their first entry spot must be Beijing Capital International Airport if they choose to take commercial flights, because Olympic-related personnel need to be transported through a closed-loop management system, which cannot be done in other cities. 

The 2022 Winter Olympics to be hosted in China's capital and neighboring Zhangjiakou in February will follow the principle of closed-loop management, which means Olympic participants will be separated from general society and their transportation after arrival will be by chartered vehicles they remain within the bio-security bubble. 

As part of the closed-loop management mechanism, Beijing has set up special inbound and outbound channels and special winter Olympics security areas at the airport.

People in the loop can only leave China by chartered flights or temporary flights, Zhang added. 

So far, 17 Chinese and foreign airlines have confirmed their willingness to operate temporary flights between Beijing and 15 cities, including Hong Kong, Paris, Tokyo and Singapore. The flight plans and schedules have all been confirmed, Global Times learned. 

At least 15 inbound and 13 outbound flights will be available on average per day during the peak time, while civil aviation authorities will continue to coordinate to add more transit airports and temporary flights with diversified options, Zhang said.

During the Olympic test events from October to December, the Beijing Organizing Committee successfully handled 71 inbound flights and 2,402 passengers, 57 outbound flights and 2,084 passengers, the Global Times learned. 

After arriving at the Beijing Capital International Airport, Olympic-related personnel are required to complete a customs health declaration, undergo temperature monitoring and nucleic acid tests, Zhang said. 

Spectators who enter the National Indoor Stadium in Beijing to watch the Winter Olympic Games must be fully vaccinated and will be required to present a negative nucleic acid test result taken within 48 hours, Global Times learned last week. 

In December, the Beijing Winter Olympic Organizing Committee will release the final version of the Games' guidebook of anti-COVID-19 measures, which is expected to detail the requirements for personnel and athletes.