Beijing reports three more COVID-19 cases weeks ahead of Winter Olympics

China's capital Beijing has reported three more COVID-19 cases since Monday, weeks before the Winter Olympics are scheduled to kick off in the capital on February 4.

Health authorities have been stepping up anti-epidemic measures such as locking down places where the three visited recently and carrying out PCR tests targeting those who may have come into contact with the infected people, raising tensions in the city, Kyodo News reported.

Beijing on Saturday reported the first local infection of the highly transmissible Omicron variant, involving a person who had visited multiple malls and restaurants in the previous 14 days. The person had not left the city since the start of this year, reported Taipei Times.

The COVID-19 Omicron variant has been cropping up across China in recent days, including in major port cities like Dalian and Tianjin.

Meanwhile, China on Monday announced that it will restrain selling tickets to the general public for the Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics.

As per the organizers, the move comes amid community infections of the highly contagious Omicron coronavirus variant that have been expanding in China, reported Kyodo News.

( With inputs from ANI )

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