Behind barrier fences, in socially distanced stadium seating or outside in below-freezing temperatures, these are an unusual Olympics for fans and spectators at these second pandemic-era Games.

Beijing’s Olympic village and all the competition venues are cut off from the surrounding city by fences and barriers, a so-called “closed loop” aimed at keeping athletes, coaches, journalists, Games staff and volunteers separated from Beijing locals. It’s all part of the strict COVID protocols imposed by the country where the coronavirus first emerged but claims some of the lowest death and infection rates in the world.