WHO says Beijing Winter Olympics anti-Covid-19 plan looks strong

Beijing's plans to ensure next month's 2022 Winter Olympics go ahead safely during the Covid-19 pandemic look strong, a senior expert from the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said.

According to Singapore's Chinese-language paper Lianhe Zaobao, WHO emergencies director Michael Ryan made the remarks during a news conference on Thursday. He said the United Nations' health agency had worked with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to provide technical advice on the safe hosting of the games, reports Xinhua.

"The Chinese authorities have very strict measures in place, and they've released a series of different playbooks," Ryan was quoted as saying.

"I'm confident that given the information we have, that the measures that are in place for the Games are very strict and very strong and we don't, at this point, see any increased risk of disease transmission in that context," he added.

The Beijing Winter Olympics will kick off on February 4.

Rumours of an athlete with Covid-19 entering Beijing refuted

The Beijing Organising Committee for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games on Sunday dismissed reports that a Spanish athlete who tested positive for Covid-19 visited downtown Beijing as rumors.

"During the Beijing 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, all overseas athletes and other relevant personnel will be strictly isolated from the local community from their entry to departure in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Beijing 2022 Playbook. Please do not believe in or spread rumors," read the statement released in Beijing.