Hangzhou, China, October 18, 2021: The COVID-19 pandemic in Hangzhou and the five co-host cities of the 19th Asian Games in Zhejiang Province is well under control, according to organisers.
International and local media at the 1st World Press Briefing for the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022 on Monday, October 18 were given an update on the pandemic by the Hangzhou Asian Games Organising Committee (HAGOC).
“The situation in China is currently stable with the epidemic well under control. As of October 7, no new local cases had been confirmed in Zhejiang Province for 477 consecutive days with only one overseas associated asymptomatic case being confirmed at provincial level,” HAGOC said in their briefing.
It was also revealed that, as of October 7, 98.8 percent of people over 12 years old in Zhejiang Province had been fully immunised.
Organisers said they would continue to strictly monitor the situation in the run-up to the September 10-25, 2022 Asian Games with close local and international cooperation and guided by the Olympic Council of Asia’s COVID-19 pandemic guidelines.
HAGOC also revealed that a four-member team had travelled to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics where they had closely observed pandemic measures.
“We learned a lot from Tokyo 2020, especially on how the Olympic bubble worked. We will set up emergency facilities for rapid response to any outbreak and provide updates in a timely manner of the situation here,” a HAGOC spokesman said.
A total of 15 test events scheduled for this year for the Asian Games - only local athletes will take part - will be used by HAGOC to focus on measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
“We will be listening to the experts and we will release a Hangzhou 2022 COVID-19 Prevention and Control Manual (Version 1.0) at the end of the year.”
Regarding medical services, there will be 41 designated hospitals, a Polyclinic in the Athletes' Village, 200 athlete medical stations, 60 medical stations for spectators, 131 ambulances, three medical helicopters and 1,564 doctors, nurses and public health workers.
