INTERNATIONAL: China on Sunday, 23 January has turned on the mode for hosting the 2022 Winter Olympics, with each competition venue under closed-loop management, almost two weeks ahead of the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2022.

From January 23 onwards, the Beijing 2022 Games-time Operations Command Center will operate 24 hours a day, directly coordinating the operations of each venue during the Games.

Starting the Winter Olympic mode ahead of time, the Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics will be able to get ready to make sure everything under control before the opening of the Winter Olympics.

During this time period, the Committee will put an emphasis on the transportation, accommodation and catering for athletes, while giving priorities to security operations, document management, epidemic prevention and control, pre-Games exercises, and back-up supports.

Also, on Sunday, three Olympic villages in downtown and Yanqing District of Beijing, and in Zhangjiakou City of neighboring Hebei Province have pre-opened to welcome the first group of 22 delegations from various countries and regions, including teams of China, Great Britain and Australia.

From January 23 to 27, the first members of the delegations will check in the Olympic villages in groups. The three Olympic villages will officially open on January 27 to welcome the main contingents of the delegations, a week before the Olympic Winter Games officially start.