Beijing residents disappointed Olympics will be closed event

BEIJING (AP) — With just over two weeks before the opening of the Beijing Winter Olympics, residents of the Chinese capital are disappointed at not being able to attend events because of coronavirus restrictions. Organizers have announced no tickets will be sold to the general public and only selected spectators will be allowed. Access to the famed National Stadium, known as the Bird’s Nest, and indoor venues in the heart of Beijing have been sealed off. People interviewed this week appeared understanding of the restrictions, although China allows no public protests, or opinion polling and tightly restricts the media and critical speech. Beijing reported just one new case of the highly contagious omicron variant on Wednesday in Beijing, where parts of the city are under lockdown.