Claire Thomson
Amid a surge of Covid-19 infections in the Chinese capital city, the Beijing marathon has been postponed until further notice.
Due to take place on 31 October, China made the decision to cancel the event to protect the health and safety of everyone involved and prevent the spread of the virus.
China’s Covid-19 Outbreak
The decision came after the country recorded a fresh outbreak of cases, which is expected to continue to spread throughout the provinces. Cases were recorded in at least 11 different provinces, all of them connected to the highly transmissible Delta variant. It is claimed to be the largest outbreak in China since Nanjing in August this year.
The Beijing marathon was the second marathon to be postponed after authorities made the decision to cancel the Wuhan marathon for the same reasons. Approximately 26,000 people were scheduled to compete in the Wuhan marathon.
The latest outbreak is reportedly the result of local tour groups visiting other provinces and cities in the country.
Beijing Marathon Importance
Around 30,000 people were expected to take part in the Beijing marathon, which has been held annually since 1981. Traditionally beginning at Tiananmen Square and ending in Celebration Square in Beijing’s Olympic Park, the race is one of the biggest local sporting events in China.
Lockdown, Lockdown, Lockdown
The 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing are scheduled to begin at the start of February next year, which has resulted in China implementing a zero-Covid strategy to reduce infection rates on the run up to this large-scale event.
In an attempt to achieve this goal, China has enforced strict travel restrictions, increased testing procedures and urged heightened vigilance to restrict the spreading of the virus. Additionally, officials have forbidden travel companies from organising tours that cross through affected provinces and regions.
Authorities in the capital are also disallowing entry into Beijing for people who have been in areas with Covid-19 cases.
Mass vaccination has also been driven with over three quarters of China’s population fully vaccinated. On top of this, the country began administering booster shots around six months ago.
Zero-Covid Strategy: Is It Worth It?
The question for China of how possible and successful a zero-Covid strategy is still remains. Countries such as Australia have backtracked, from attempting to enforce these policies to accepting that the virus must simply be lived with. Is it time for China to do the same?
Featured image courtesy of walter668 via Pixabay. Image license can be found here. No changes or alterations were made to this image.
Claire Thomson
Aspiring Sports Journalist and Modern Languages Student (French/German) at University of Glasgow