Beijing Olympics tickets will not be sold to the public between Omicron

Only “selected” spectators will be invited to the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing due to safety concerns via the Omicron . variant, officials announced on Monday.

Beijing Winter Olympics Organizing Committee announced in a statement that tickets will not sold to the public “given the current serious and complex situation of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Officials said they would instead “invite groups of spectators to be present” during the Olympic events, which are scheduled to begin on February 4.

Before the change, Olympic organizers limited sales to individuals based in mainland China.

The International Olympic Committee has confirmed the ticket policy in one separate statement.

The decision comes after the first locally transmitted case of the Omicron variant was confirmed over the weekend in Beijing.

China has enacted strict health measures ahead of the Olympics, including requiring visitors to take a COVID-19 test within 72 hours of arriving in Beijing. The pilot policy begins on January 22 and will be in effect through the end of March.

The ticket policy change marks the latest sign of trouble for this year’s Olympics. In addition to concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the international community has objected to the decision to allow China to host the games. allegations of ongoing human rights violations.

The Biden administration ordered a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing matches, though American athletes were still allowed to participate. U.S.-based corporate sponsors also face pressure to act, although no companies have given up participating so far.