Organisers of the upcoming Winter Olympics has confirmed that additional 34 participants have tested positive for COVID-19 ahead of the Games in Beijing.
According to the organizing committee, 23 people entering the country tested positive for the coronavirus on Saturday, including 13 athletes or team members.
In addition, infections were registered in 11 people who are already in the closed Olympic system.
The chairwoman of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) athletes’ commission, Emma Terho, said on social media she had tested positive in Beijing and was in isolation.
Terho, a 40-year-old former ice hockey player, however said she would take part in meetings remotely.
She added that since arriving in China she had not been in contact with others before testing positive.
Finland’s Terho had taken part in a November video call with Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai.
The player had largely disappeared since making an allegation of sexual assault against a leading Chinese politician in a subsequently deleted social media post.
Since then athletes, politicians and human rights experts have expressed concern for Peng.
The WTA women’s tennis governing body has demanded an explanation while removing tournaments from China.
The IOC intends to meet with Peng during the course of the Games which begins on Friday.
A day earlier, there had been a total of 36 positive tests, and the total number of coronavirus cases since Jan. 23 has risen to 139.
The Winter Games are being held under strict coronavirus rules and this means all participants from athletes to journalists are completely separated from the general Chinese population.
To detect infections as quickly as possible, every participant in the bubble must take a PCR test daily.
Anyone who tests positive must isolate in a dedicated hotel and after two negative PCR tests at least 24 hours apart they may leave isolation.
China is still pursuing a strict zero-COVID strategy which sees even small clusters of cases targeted with strict measures.
In the last few weeks, the authorities imposed lockdowns on several cities with millions of inhabitants.
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