The Observer view on why we’re paying a high price to host the World Cup
7 min
How far will China go to keep COVID at bay? The Beijing Winter Olympics can be seen as the nation condensing the entirety of the pandemic into a moment. Thomas Hale reports from inside the doomsday ‘closed loop’ of the Olympic village, where all the staff wear full hazmat suits, food is served with disposable plates and cutlery, and masks are not only obligatory but of a certain kind.