AKIPRESS.COM - Organisers of the Beijing Winter Olympics have eased a Covid-19 testing requirement for participants, amid a growing number of cases in the capital, BBC reports.

The new change makes it easier for participants arriving at the Games to be considered virus-free.

Of more than 3,000 Olympic arrivals, 106 have tested positive for the virus since 4 January.

Outside of the tournament's closed-off premises, Beijing locals are facing harsher restrictions and new lockdowns.

Around two million residents in Beijing's Fengtai district have been told to undergo testing, as a handful of locally transmitted cases were found earlier this week.

Locals who bought over-the-counter treatments for fever or cough symptoms have also been told to do a test within three days of the purchase.

Chinese officials are aiming to stamp out small outbreaks of the virus before the Games begin on 4 February, as Beijing continues its zero-Covid strategy.