CanadaB次元官网网址檚 Olympic and Paralympic athletes must be vaccinated to compete at the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing.

The Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Committees announced a COVID-19 vaccine mandate on Wednesday, saying the decision was made with support of the boards of directors and athlete commissions.

The mandate aligns with the federal governmentB次元官网网址檚 recent announcement that all air travellers must be fully vaccinated by October 30, 2021, Canadian Olympic Committee CEO David Shoemaker said in a statement.

The Canadian team was over 95 per cent fully vaccinated B次元官网网址� but not 100 per cent B次元官网网址� at the Tokyo Games last summer, and Shoemaker noted there were no positive cases among the the 840 Canadian athletes and staff who travelled to Japan.

B次元官网网址淲e want to do the same for Beijing,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淎 fully vaccinated team following robust hygiene and physical distancing protocols is the best way to do that.B次元官网网址�

The United Stated Olympic Committee announced a similar vaccine mandate recently, also a departure from the Tokyo Games where American athletes such as swimmer Michael Andrew made headlines because of their anti-vaccine beliefs.

The Olympic open Feb. 4 and the Paralympics on March 4.

B次元官网网址淥ur commitment to ensure the health and safety of each and every member of the Canadian Paralympic Team is of the utmost importance to us,B次元官网网址� Karen OB次元官网网址橬eill, the CEO of the Canadian Paralympic Committee, said in a statement.

B次元官网网址淥ur efforts to keep the team safe were successful at the Tokyo Games, and building on that success our aim is to take the next step for Beijing with a vaccine mandate for the entire team B次元官网网址� Full vaccination is the most effective tool at our disposal as we continue our preparations for the Paralympic Winter Games.B次元官网网址�

China also has a 21-quarantine mandate for travellers who have not been fully vaccinated.

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The Canadian Press

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