Athletes competing in the Beijing Winter Olympics will be required to undergo daily COVID-19 tests regardless of vaccination status.
While the IOC is not mandating COVID-19 vaccines in order to compete, some national committees — including the United States and Canada — have already required vaccines a requirement for their athletes.
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During theTokyo Summer Olympicsthis summer, theU.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC)recommended vaccines against COVID-19, though they were not required.
Last month, IOC officials urged Olympic teams to request additional vaccines for athletes.
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“As we did in Tokyo, we are putting in place rigorous COVID-19 countermeasures to ensure the health and safety of all Olympic participants in Beijing,” said IOC president Thomas Bach.
“I would like to encourage those National Olympic Committees who require additional vaccine doses for their delegations, their National Paralympic Committees and other Olympic stakeholders in their territory, to inform our NOC Relations Department as soon as possible so that we can put the necessary arrangements in place,” Bach continued.
All international spectators — including the families of the athletes —will be bannedfrom attending in order to limit travel into the country.
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source: people.com
