To prevent COVID-19 spreading at the Games, athletes, journalists, and other media are restricted to a “closed loop”, consisting of designated Olympic venues and hotels.
Before the Games started, plans to sell tickets to general public were abandoned. However, organizers stated that around 150,000 spectators from the local area would be permitted to enter certain venues. This included schoolchildren and staff from foreign embassies.
It is still a mystery how they are chosen. Jiarong Yan, an organizer for Beijing, stated that they are invited by community groups, educational institutions, and other groups. They must be subject to certain protocols. These include testing before entering and health monitoring once they leave. However, quarantining is not required. They are kept apart from other bubble members.
Some fans were seated in close proximity to the Capital Indoor Stadium on Thursday to see the free men’s figure skate. Fans cheered for Jin Boyang from China and Nathan Chen from the United States, who gave a free skating performance that earned him the silver.
