China on Monday cancelled plans to sell tickets to the public for the Winter Olympics in Beijing, allowing only invitees to view the action as part of strict virus control measures.
Games organisers last year said there would be no international spectators — partly due to the country’s weeks-long quarantine requirements—but they had promised to allow domestic audiences.
But these plans were dropped on Monday as China reported 223 new Covid-19 cases — the highest number since March 2020 and just three weeks before hosting the Winter Olympics.