China reports 34 new COVID-19 cases among Olympics-related personnel

Thirty-four new COVID-19 infections were detected among Olympics-related personnel on Jan 29,the Beijing 2022 winter Games organizing committee said on Sunday, with Poland's short track medal hopeful Natalia Maliszewska among them.

Of those, 13 were athletes or team officials who tested positive after arriving at the airport on Saturday.

Of the total infections, 23 were among new airport arrivals, while 11 were people already in the "closed loop" bubble that separates event personnel from the public in an effort to curb the spread of infections.

The loop allows Games participants to move freely between their accommodation and Olympic venues through official transport but they are not allowed to move freely in the city. All Games stakeholders are also tested daily.

Maliszewska is already the eighth Polish athlete to have tested positive and she has gone into isolation, the Polish Olympic Committee said on Sunday, joining already-infected fellow speedskaters Natalia Czerwonka, Magdalena Czyszczon and Marek Kania in isolation.

The 500m heats are due to start on Feb. 5. and Maliszewska is locked in a race against time to compete, with athletes who test positive and show no symptoms to be discharged from isolation only if they provide two consecutive negative tests 24 hours apart.

Australia also announced a positive COVID-19 test on Sunday among its team members but did not provide details of whether it was an athlete or coaching staff.

Beijing Games organizers have warned of more cases in coming days as Beijing enforces stringent measures, restricting movement and contact of any Games participant with the local population.

In the COVID-19 era, China has isolated itself with a zero-tolerance policy, cancelling nearly all international flights, meaning Olympic athletes and others must fly directly into the city on charters.