Virus limis Olympic torch relay

BEIJING (AP) — China is limiting the torch relay for the Winter Olympics to only three days amid coronavirus worries, organizers said Friday.

The flame will be displayed only in enclosed venues that are deemed "safe and controllable," according to officials.

No public transit routes would be disturbed and normal life would continue for the 20 million residents of the capital, where a handful of new Covid-19 cases have been recorded over recent days.

Beijing's deputy sports director, Yang Haibin, said safety was the "top priority," with the pandemic, venue preparations and the possibility of forest fires in Beijing's cold, dry climate all factored in.*