China has recorded Monday 39 new cases, putting its policy of “zero tolerance” with regard to the coronavirus.
Le Monde with AFP
The Beijing Marathon, scheduled for October 31, was reported Sine Die to prevent any risk of transmission of COVID-19, to a hundred days of the Olympic Games (OJ), announced the organizers Sunday, October 24.
China has registered Monday 39 cases of COVID-19, putting its policy of “zero tolerance” with regard to the coronavirus.
The Beijing marathon was postponed to an indeterminate date “to prevent the risk of epidemic transmission [and] to effectively protect the health and safety of runners, staff and residents,” said the organizers in a statement.
Some 30,000 runners had to participate in the event on October 31st.
Massive tests
The Wuhan marathon, which had to have 26,000 participants last Sunday in the city where the new coronavirus had been identified for the first time at the end of 2019, had also been canceled at the last moment for the same reasons.
Beijing will mark Wednesday the hundred days before the winter Olympics, which will begin on February 4th. The organizers admitted at the beginning of the month that they were “faced with great pressure” due to COVID-19.
The Chinese authorities strive to contain contagion by conducting massive tests on residents and targeted closures. The authorities announced Sunday the suspension of organized inter-provincial trips in five regions where cases were detected, including Beijing. Some cities have also suspended bus and taxi services.