China said Tuesday it will invite more spectators to attend the Winter Olympics because of the success of strict containment measures within the bubble that separates event personnel from the public.
China did not sell tickets to the public due to concerns over the spread of the coronavirus but chose a limited number of spectators who are required to comply with strict containment and prevention measures.
The announcement was made at a news conference at which Huang Chun, an official with the organizers' pandemic prevention and control office, said a realistic goal for attendance at some venues before the Games are over is about 30%.
"We will bring in more spectators based on demand because the current COVID-19 situation within the 'closed loop' is under control," he said.
In the southwestern Chinese city of Baise on Tuesday, no new cases of the coronavirus were reported, one day after a strict lockdown was ordered following a spike in daily infections three days earlier.
Authorities ordered residents in the city, near the border with Vietnam, to stay at home, leaving their residences only to buy essential items or to test for COVID-19. Local officials encouraged residents of the city of about 3.6 million to use delivery services rather than travel to a store when possible.
The lockdown comes as China hosts the 2022 Winter Olympics in the capital, Beijing, within a strict bubble to prevent the spread of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.
Lockdowns in Hong Kong
Hong Kong announced Tuesday its most stringent lockdown measures since the pandemic began as new daily cases of infections have topped 600. Chief Executive Carrie Lam said gatherings of more than two families in private premises will be prohibited and public gatherings will be limited to two people. Places of worship and hair salons will be closed until February 24, when vaccine passes will be required to enter public places such as markets and restaurants, Lam said.
Restrictions in North America
The busiest land crossing from the United States to Canada remained closed Tuesday, Canada's border agency said, one day after police in the Canadian capital of Ottawa seized thousands of liters of fuel as part of a crackdown to end a protest organized by truckers opposed to COVID-19 restrictions. Mayor Jim Watson declared a state of emergency in the city on Sunday after the demonstrations entered their second week. Truck traffic has been blocking the streets of Ottawa since the demonstrations began on January 28.
Officials in the U.S. states of Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, California and Oregon have announced the lifting of indoor mask requirements for schools and other public places in coming weeks, as levels of infections fueled by the omicron variant of the coronavirus subside. The decisions, mostly announced on Monday, came as state and local governments struggle with which restrictions to cancel or maintain.
The Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center reported Monday that there are more than 399 million global COVID-19 infections and more than 5.7 million global COVID-19 deaths. The center said more than 10 billion COVID-19 vaccines have been administered.
Some information in this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters, and Agence France-Presse.
