5 members of Canada's Olympic team placed in COVID-19 protocols in Beijing
CBC
Five members of Canada's Olympic delegation were placed in COVID-19 protocols upon arrival in Beijing.
The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) said it would not be sharing names "because there will likely be persistent shedders," meaning people who continue to test positive for the virus long after their initial diagnosis.
"We are following the Beijing 2022 Playbook rules. Part of our strategy was to arrive early to allow time for confirmation testing and, if necessary, the Medical Expert Panel process to unfold," COC added in a statement.
The full Canadian delegation consists of 246 people, including 215 athletes plus support staff. The COC did not specify whether any athletes were in protocols.
WATCH | Canadian athletes arrive in Beijing:
The COC added that it would work with athletes to release specific names in the event a positive test makes them unable to compete. It plans to release daily updates on the number of team members in protocols.
Athletes were required to provide two negative COVID-19 tests within 96 hours of boarding the plane to China, plus one more upon arrival. The Canadian contingent began to arrive in Beijing on Thursday.
On the flights, athletes were grouped together by sport in order to remain within the bubbles in which they've been living and training. There were empty seats between each athlete and an empty row between sports, since those within two rows of someone who tests positive count as "close contacts," per the Olympic Playbook.
The opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics takes place next Friday, with competition slowly starting earlier in the week.