"Based on the information we have, the measures put in place for the Games are very strict and very firm," said Michael Ryan, head of emergency operations at the World Health Organization, when asked about it at the time. of a press conference.

Just one month before the start of the events which promise to be the most closely watched in the pandemic era, an anti-Covid health "bubble" was put in place on Tuesday around the sites of the Beijing Olympic Games, to avoid any contact between people coming from abroad and the local population outside this area.

A security guard closes a barrier to prevent access to the Olympic Stadium ("Bird's Nest") as part of the anti-Covid health "bubble", set up around the sites of the Beijing Olympic Games, January 4, 2022 Noel Celis AFP

But the International Olympic Committee on Wednesday called on participants in the Games to "be extremely vigilant", as the current wave of Covid could prevent some qualified from flying to China.

The president of the International Olympic Committee Thomas Bach, June 4, 2018 in Beijing GREG BAKER AFP / Archives

Asked about the possible coming of the Director General of WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, to Beijing for the Olympics, a spokesperson for the organization told reporters that "WHO does not discuss the trips of its staff" .

"Not the last variant"

During his first press conference of the year, the head of the WHO, on the other hand, reiterated his call to distribute more vaccines in disadvantaged countries.

"Successive boosters (of vaccination) in a small number of countries will not end the pandemic while billions of people remain completely unprotected," he said, explaining that at the current rate of distribution vaccines, "109 countries should not be able to fully immunize 70% of their population by the beginning of July."

The Director General of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, during a press conference, December 20, 2021 at WHO headquarters in Geneva Fabrice COFFRINI AFP / Archives

"Due to the low vaccination rates, we have created the perfect conditions for the emergence of variants of the virus," he added.

At his side, Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO technical manager for the Covid, for her part considered "very unlikely that Omicron will be the last variant you will hear us talk about, it will not be the last worrying variant".

As Omicron continues its lightning spread around the world, the WHO has once again stressed that Omicron should not be considered a benign variant, even though early data seems to show that it results in a lower level of hospitalizations.

"While Omicron appears to be less severe than Delta, especially in people who have been vaccinated, that should not be considered benign. Just like the previous variants, Omicron causes hospitalizations and kills people," said Dr Tedros.

“Besides, the tsunami of cases is so huge and rapid that it is overwhelming health systems around the world,” he said.

© 2022 AFP