Canadian athletes must be vaccinated to compete in Olympics, Paralympics in Beijing

Canada's 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.

Canadian Olympic Committee CEO David Shoemaker pointed out that 840 coaches and staff travelled to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics this past summer without a positive case.

"We want to do the same for Beijing," he said in a statement.

"We know that the best way to keep athletes, staff, and the communities we live, train and compete in safe, is for all members of Team Canada to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. For that reason, and the recent announcement by the federal government that all air travellers must be fully vaccinated by October 30, 2021, we notified potential Beijing 2022 hopefuls and Mission Team members by email earlier today that they must be fully vaccinated to be named to Team Canada. In that email we encouraged anyone with questions or concerns to contact us or their National Sport Organization's medical lead for support."

The United Stated Olympic Committee announced a similar vaccine mandate recently.

"Our commitment to ensure the health and safety of each and every member of the Canadian Paralympic Team is of the utmost importance to us," said Karen O'Neill, CEO, Canadian Paralympic Committee. "Our 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 – athletes, coaches, support staff, and contractors. Full vaccination is the most effective tool at our disposal as we continue our preparations for the Paralympic Winter Games."

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