China's Olympic COVID-19 bubble works: The Independent

Athletes participate in training before the Curling Women's Round Robin Session 8 of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics between Japan and South Korea at the National Aquatics Centre in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 14, 2022. (Xinhua/Huang Xiaobang)

Outside the Olympic bubble, life goes on as usual for most in the nation's capital, said the report.

Bringing in more than 15,000 people from all corners of the world to Beijing for the Winter Olympics poses a formidable risk of COVID-19 spreading in China. Still, the country's closed-loop management has proven resilient, British media outlet The Independent has recently reported.

One week into the event, with the "bubble" that allows participants to skip quarantine but restricts their movement to avoid contact with the general population, there have been 490 confirmed cases -- many of them positive tests on symptomless visitors -- and no reports of any leaking out to date, the report said on Friday.

Outside the Olympic bubble, life goes on as usual for most in the nation's capital, it said, noting that people have been following the Games on smartphones or TV.

According to the report, China's approach towards COVID-19 infections has kept the virus at bay, with 4,636 deaths being reported since the start of the pandemic, a tiny fraction of those in other major nations.