On the eve of the Beijing Olympics, scheduled to take place February 4-20, its organizers are faced with a new threat. The second front against the Olympics, which the United States and its allies declared a diplomatic boycott, opened the omicron strain of COVID-19. In China, it is believed that it was imported in a parcel from Canada, which was delivered to China through the United States and Hong Kong. The discovery of the first case of omicron infection forces the authorities to take emergency measures to keep the situation under control. Additional intrigue is introduced by the fact that Vladimir Putin, who is going on a visit to Beijing, should be present at the opening of the Olympics. According to the presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov, Moscow is still waiting for full-scale negotiations, but “the trip is being prepared in very, very difficult conditions.”
The wake-up call for the organizers of the Winter Olympics in China rang last Saturday when the first case of omicron infection was identified in Beijing. As it turned out, the sick resident of the Haidian district, located in the northwest of the Chinese capital, has not left the city for the past two weeks, but has actively moved around Beijing and has been in contact with many people.
In search of an answer to the question of how Omicron was brought into Beijing, experts came to the conclusion that the virus entered the country in a package from Canada, which, according to the infected, she received on January 11. The Beijing Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed on Monday that samples taken from the outer packaging, the inside of the package, and the accompanying documentation came back positive. In the Canadian parcel that came to China through the United States and Hong Kong, there was an “omicron”.
In general, since the beginning of the year, China has seen an increase in the number of cases of coronavirus, which earlier at a certain point seemed to have practically disappeared. The daily rate of cases in January reaches 200 people, which can be considered a threatening trend for China. It is not surprising that on the eve of the Olympics, which starts on February 4, during the celebration of the Chinese New Year, the authorities of the Chinese capital are tightening the rules for entering Beijing from other regions.
Starting from January 22, it will become mandatory for Chinese citizens arriving in the capital to have not one, but two negative PCR tests.
The first one will need to be handed over 48 hours before entering Beijing, the second – within 72 hours after arriving in the city. This rule will be in effect until the end of March.
In addition, according to the representative of the State Postal Administration of China, Bian Zodong, foreign parcels entering the country will be subjected to the most severe multi-stage control.
The first stage of disinfection will take place at the airport immediately after the arrival of the postal cargo, then during customs declaration. After that, delivery companies for reinsurance will have to conduct two more rounds of cargo disinfection. For its implementation, both special disinfectants in the form of sprays and ultraviolet radiation will be used. However, even after that, the authorities recommend that Chinese citizens open packages on the street, disinfect the contents again with their own hands, and only after that bring the package to the apartment.
Thus, in addition to the diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Olympics, which the United States called for last December, another unplanned problem has been added.
The second, sanitary front against the Games, opened the omicron strain.
An additional intrigue to the situation is that Vladimir Putin, who is going to visit Beijing, should be present at the opening of the Olympics – an agreement on the visit of the Russian president was reached on December 15 during his video summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
“I have no doubt that the upcoming Winter Olympic Games will be held at a high level. China knows how to do it,” Vladimir Putin said at the time. “I look forward to our Olympic meeting with you. I am ready to go forward hand in hand with you, together to open a new page in Chinese-Russian relations in the post-pandemic period,” Xi Jinping said.
Answering the question whether the distribution of “omicron” at the last moment can make adjustments to the program of Vladimir Putin’s stay in China, Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov noted that the Russian side “is ready to act energetically and flexibly.”
“The situation, you see, is changing rapidly, and here it is necessary to respond quickly,” Dmitry Peskov said, pointing out that for now, as planned, Moscow is counting on holding full-format negotiations.
“The trip is being prepared, it is being prepared in very, very difficult conditions. Our Chinese comrades are, of course, showing maximum attention to ensuring sanitary safety. In this regard, additional requirements for sanitary safety are born, which we discuss together with our Chinese partners. What will happen next, in the remaining weeks before this trip, God willing, everything will go according to plan, at least we are preparing,” he added.
As for the coverage of Vladimir Putin’s visit to China by the Russian media, despite the significance of this event, which the two leaders spoke about during their virtual summit on December 15, a limited circle of journalists will be able to travel with the president. “We are planning a small pool. There are very strong restrictions, and, of course, the pool will not be able to work very much, but we plan to do it anyway,” Dmitry Peskov stated.
In addition, according to him, on January 25, Vladimir Putin plans to communicate with the Russian Olympic team, which is leaving for Beijing, but the communication will take place via video link. “Indeed, one way or another, the president will definitely communicate with our Olympic team. But taking into account the fact that China has very strict requirements for those arriving at sports competitions, and taking into account the “omicron”, most likely, it will be in the videoconference mode,” said Dmitry Peskov.