(Photo: AFP/VNA)

Thousands of cleaners, cooks, drivers, and other staff will be cocooned for weeks in a ‘closed loop’ with no direct physical contact with the outside world.

Journalists and some 3,000 athletes from around the world will start arriving in Beijing in the coming weeks and will remain in the bubble from the moment they land until they leave the country.

Anyone entering the bubble must be fully vaccinated or undergo a 21-day quarantine when they touch down. Everyone inside the bubble will be tested daily and must wear a face mask at all times.

The system includes dedicated transportation between venues. A “closed-loop” high-speed rail system operating in parallel with trains open to the public will continue to operate until late March or early April.

Most of the competition venues are outside the capital. To keep the Games COVID-secure, fans will not be allowed to enter the “closed loop”.