Residents in affected neighbourhood areas in Beijing are set to undergo daily testing for COVID-19 before the Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony ©Getty Images

Several neighbourhoods have been closed off here after two cases of COVID-19 were identified as Chinese authorities battle to control the spread of the virus prior to the opening of the Winter Olympics on Friday (February 4). 

Among those affected are Anzhenli community in the Beijing district of Chaoyang, a key area for the Winter Olympics, where the whole area has been locked down.

Residents in affected neighbourhoods are set to be tested for COVID-19 every day until the the Opening Ceremony.

Chaoyang is the home of Beijing’s Olympic Park that features venues including the National Stadium, due to host the Opening Ceremony, National Aquatics Center - also known as the Ice Cube - and National Indoor Stadium that are due to used at Beijing 2022.

A "closed-loop management system" has been implemented by Beijing 2022 to ensure Games participants are separated from the local population.

a total of two million residents in the Fentai district in Beijing have been undergoing rounds of testing following a small outbreak last week.

Chaoyang, the district where the Olympic Park is located, is among areas affected by the latest blanked COVID-19 testing programme launched by officials in Beijing ©Getty Images
Chaoyang, the district where the Olympic Park is located, is among areas affected by the latest blanked COVID-19 testing programme launched by officials in Beijing ©Getty Images

China has imposed a "zero-COVID" strategy in response to the global pandemic, but cases have continued to pop up.

A total of 54 locally transmitted COVID-19 cases were reported yesterday in China - 17 more than the previous day.

The figure includes 20 cases in Beijing, including two asymptomatic cases.

Speaking on Saturday (January 29), Huang Chun, deputy director of the pandemic control and prevention office at Beijing 2022, claimed he did not believe the COVID-19 situation in the capital was a cause for concern.

"The Beijing Municipal Government is taking immediate action and we can see the confirmed cases is now decreasing day by day and I believe that this outbreak will be controlled within days," he said.

"We need to strictly follow the closed loop management and have very frequent screening.

"I believe in this way we can identify positive cases, cut the transmission and stop the spread."