[Epoch Times, February 16, 2022](The Epoch Times reporter Zhang Ting comprehensive report) The Olympic Games are often not without fans, and fans come to the scene to cheer. The Beijing Winter Olympics, which has been shrouded in the epidemic, canceled the sale of tickets to the public, and instead will be attended by specific audiences carefully selected by the authorities. Employees of Chinese state-owned enterprises who were invited to be spectators broke the news to US media that they were required to abide by confidentiality regulations.
Who are those people in the stands at the Winter Olympics?
The organizers of the Beijing Winter Olympics said the day before the opening ceremony of the Games that about 150,000 people were invited to watch the Games live.These people includeDiplomats, businessmen, students, local residents and sponsors, etc.
The Wall Street Journal and the Associated Press have published articles on the topic of audiences in the Beijing Winter Olympics.
Huari said in the article that compared with the Tokyo Olympics held during the epidemic, Beijing’s epidemic prevention policy is much stricter, but at the same time, the Winter Olympics organizers did not want the stands to look empty, so they invited some spectators to the scene. viewing, but the exact identities of the selected viewers are kept with a certain degree of confidentiality. Some invited Chinese state-owned enterprise employees were told they had to abide by secrecy rules and not post on social media or discuss their game-watching with outsiders without authorization.
The organizers of the Winter Olympics conducted a series of strict checks on the few Chinese spectators who entered the arena from outside the closed loop, and asked them to enter, enter and leave the venue from different routes from those inside the closed loop to ensure that they did not have close contact.
But Hua Ri also said that even if there are some spectators in the stands, not selling tickets to the public still means that the atmosphere of the competition venue is not as lively as in previous Winter Olympics. Athletes pose for photos, but chest-high metal barricades and heavily guarded checkpoints isolate people inside the closed-loop system from the outside world.
The requirements for epidemic prevention are extremely cumbersome, and it is difficult to find qualified audiences
Hua Ri said spectators must go through a strict health screening process before entering any venue, including showing proof that they have been fully vaccinated against the new crown. Those receiving the vaccine made in China are also required to have a booster shot, according to people familiar with the matter.
In addition, spectators are not allowed to leave Beijing within 14 days before the start of the game, and must show proof of two negative nucleic acid test results within the first four days of watching the game. After watching the game, spectators and co-residents living in Beijing must undergo a week-long health monitoring, and the scope of travel is basically limited between their residence and work. According to one of the people, these public health requirements are extremely cumbersome and difficult to generate public interest in attending the game.
A source familiar with the matter told Huari that an Olympic sponsor had difficulty finding employees and customers who were eligible to use the tickets because so few could meet relevant public health requirements.
The Associated Press also reported on Beijing’s strict epidemic prevention policy for viewers. Employees of foreign chambers of commerce and Olympic sponsoring companies said they had received invitations to attend the opening ceremony on February 4. Spectators attending Olympic ceremonies and watching sporting events were required to receive booster shots of the new crown vaccine and to provide two negative results of the virus test before watching the game, and two more tests after watching the game, the report said. Joerg Wuttke, president of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, said he was invited but could not attend because it was too early for a booster shot.
The report also said that before entering the Olympic venues, spectators had to show a mobile app that tracks their movements and health.
Gao Jia, an employee of an Olympic sponsor, received tickets for the opening ceremony. Spectators gathered at a hotel to undergo security checks before being taken to the Olympic Park on the north side of Beijing before walking three kilometers (two miles) to the National Stadium, she said. She asked The Associated Press not to name her company.
Responsible editor: Lin Yan#