Wuhan Marathon Cancelled Ahead Of Beijing Winter Olympics Following Virus Spike
WUHAN MARATHON – Authorities cancelled a massive marathon in Wuhan, China, following a spike in COVID-19 cases in the city.
Following its victory against COVID-19, China imposed a zero-tolerance protocol for COVID-19 outbreaks. This meant that authorities would deal with any outbreak strictly and swiftly.
Recently, local reports confirmed 26 new local COVID-19 cases on Sunday. Due to this, officials raced to contain the latest outbreak and conducted mass testing of residents amid targetted lockdowns.
Because of this, organizers of the Wuhan Marathon said they would postpone the event to avoid risking the spread of the virus. Based on an article from ABS-CBN, the massive marathon would include a whopping 26,000 participants.
Additionally, next weekend’s 40th Edition of the Beijing Marathon could also be postponed. But, local media said Beijing organizers had yet to confirm details regarding its decision.
Meanwhile, with the Beijing Winter Olympics set 100 days from now, organizers said they are facing “great pressure” due to the virus spikes. Furthermore, due to China’s zero-tolerance policy against COVID-19, the Winter Games could be the most restricted mass sporting event since the start of the pandemic.
Currently, athletes who wish to participate in the games should be fully vaccinated. Officials also stated that if athletes have no COVID-19 vaccine shots, a 21-day quarantine must be imposed.
As per the article, Wang Huaqing of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention explained:
Having to continuously strengthen immunization and continuously carry out booster shots is not our ultimate choice
The Beijing Winter Olympics will take place in February 2022 as it coincides with the Chinese New Year. In terms of spectators, China said it would impose a “Closed-Loop” bubble for its Winter Olympics.
With this, athletes and visitors would need to face strict restrictions on their movement. Moreover, organizers said it would be a “level of control never seen before” in any sporting event.
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