Services ramped up for Games

Beijing has ramped up efforts to ensure city services operate smoothly during the Winter Games, officials said at a news conference at the Main Media Center on Saturday.

City management, the health of athletes and residents, accurate weather forecast services in competition areas, and transport have been guaranteed for a smooth Winter Olympics and Paralympics, officials said.

Wang Jianhui, spokesman for the Beijing Municipal Health Commission, said the commission will spare no efforts to guarantee safety in all venues for the Winter Games.

A total of 88 medical stations have been set up in the competition areas in downtown Beijing and its northwestern Yanqing district to provide on-site medical treatment and the transfer of anyone injured or unwell.

About 1,300 medical workers have been dispatched to the stations. Each station has been equipped with medical personnel in professional disciplines, including orthopedics and stomatology, based on the sports held at each venue.

"We've added CT scanners and dental chairs in the ice hockey stadium, making sure that targeted medical services are provided at each venue,"Wang said.

The commission has made treatment plans for high-risk sports and divided patients into five groups. They include confirmed and suspected cases of novel coronavirus, those who have fevers inside and outside the closed loop, and those with other injuries or sickness inside and outside the closed loop.

"A total of 18 designated hospitals in the city will conduct targeted treatment, to prevent cross-infection among patients," he added.

A general clinic has also opened in the Winter Olympic villages in downtown Beijing and Yanqing, providing medical services for international athletes and staff members.

Meanwhile, the capital will maintain its dynamic zero-COVID prevention measures, Wang said.

The commission has established a monitoring system for personnel related to cold-chain logistics and production to improve virus detection capabilities.

The city's daily nucleic acid testing capacity has increased to 1.56 million tests, and the number of sampling stations has reached 400.

An epidemiological investigation team with 3,600 staff members will work to identify any transmission chains as quickly as possible to identify the source of COVID-19 cases, Wang said.

Zhang Yan, deputy director of the Beijing Municipal Commission of Urban Management, said 180,000 security personnel will take part in the city's management during the Games, with over 50,000 involved in Olympic-related security work, comprehensively ensuring the safety of the city's operation.

"We will closely follow changes in the weather and strengthen the monitoring of the power grid to ensure safe and stable operation," Zhang said.

As the host of the Winter Games, Beijing has created a series of dedicated urban landscapes with a strong Olympic atmosphere to promote the event.

Since January, the capital has built three iconic Olympic-themed landscaped floral displays and 620 other landscaped arrangements. It has also installed 280,000 lanterns and staged 28 light shows.

"We have selected 20 design works from nearly 1,000 submitted by the public, and arranged them in the streets and alleys of the city," she added.