The so-called closed-loop management system planned in China, the I.O.C. said, would encompass “all Games-related areas, including arrival and departure, transport, accommodation, catering, competitions, and the Opening and Closing Ceremonies.”
The I.O.C. statement suggested that no one inside the system would be allowed to venture out of it for any reason: “Within the closed loop, participants will be allowed to move only between Games-related venues for training, competitions and work. A dedicated Games transport system will be put in place.”
Those within the bubble also will be subject to daily coronavirus testing.
Beijing 2022’s vaccination requirement also represents an unprecedented step during this pandemic. No major sports league in the world has a similar mandate. The I.O.C. on Wednesday said that all vaccines recognized by the World Health Organization would be accepted and that athletes who asked for medical exemptions would have their individual cases “considered.”
Many prominent athletes around the world remain unvaccinated, and it remains to be seen how many potential Olympians will decide to skip the Beijing Games or subject themselves to a three-week quarantine rather than accept vaccination in order to gain access to the Games. Last week, the United States Olympics and Paralympic Committee announced that all of its athletes were required to be vaccinated by Dec. 1 if they hoped to represent the delegation next year in China.
In another departure from the Tokyo Games, where fans were banned altogether, spectators will be allowed at competition venues in Beijing in some capacity. But, according to the I.O.C., tickets will be limited to those residing in mainland China “who meet the requirements of the COVID-19 countermeasures.” The specifics of those requirements, the organization said, were still under discussion.