SHANGHAI, June 11 (Reuters) – The Chinese capital, Beijing, is facing an “explosive” COVID-19 bar-related outbreak, a government spokesman warned on Saturday as Shanghai Mall launched massive tests to curb the jump in cases. associated with a popular beauty salon.
The warning was followed by a renewed tightening of COVID restrictions in Beijing on Thursday, with at least two areas – including the most populous, Chaoyang – closing certain entertainment venues after an explosion in a bustling neighborhood known for its nightlife, shopping and embassy streets.
While China’s infection rate is low by global standards, President Xi Jinping has doubled the zero-COVID policy that authorities say is needed to protect the elderly and the medical system, even when other countries try to live with the virus.
Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com
I’m registering
So far, the country with a population of 1.4 billion has had a total of only 5,226 deaths.
The latest cases in Beijing involved a drinking establishment known as the Heaven Supermarket Bar. Infections have since risen, with Beijing saying on Saturday that all of the 61 new cases found in the city on Friday had either visited the bar or had links to it.
“The recent outbreak of Heaven Supermarket Bar cases is highly explosive in nature and widespread, and the composition of those involved is also complex,” said Sue Hejian, a spokeswoman for the Beijing Municipal Government, at a news briefing.
The capital reported 46 new local COVID cases on Saturday at 3pm local time (07:00 GMT), health official Liu Xiaofeng said at the same briefing. All cases were found among people already in isolation or under surveillance, Liu said. The city did not announce new curbs at the briefing.
So far, a total of 115 cases and 6,158 close contacts have been reported related to the bar, bringing the 22-million-strong city back to a state of anxiety.
Less than two weeks ago, Beijing eased COVID’s restrictions on fighting a major outbreak that began in April.
With the resurgence of COVID, the extensive Universal Beijing Resort, a theme park on the outskirts of the city, canceled a reopening plan late Friday, saying it would remain closed until further notice. Three of its workers visited the Heaven supermarket bar, according to Beijing authorities.
Many neighborhoods in the capital have been blocked and residents have been told to stay at home.
CITY TESTING
In Shanghai, city officials announced three new confirmed local cases and an asymptomatic case found outside quarantine areas on Saturday, as nearly all of the city’s 25 million residents began a new round of tests for COVID.
Authorities have ordered a PCR test for all residents in 15 of Shanghai’s 16 districts this weekend, with five districts banning residents from leaving their homes during the testing period. Shanghai residents must perform at least one PCR test a week by July 31, a city official told a news conference on Saturday.
The new tests come just 10 days after the city lifted a two-month blockade aimed at eliminating the spread of COVID-19 in the community, raising concerns among many residents who struggled with lost income, loss of liberty, deaths of friends and relatives, and even hunger during this period. Read more
“I’m a little worried because if there are positive cases in the complex, it will be put in a sealed situation,” said Shi Weichi, a Shanghai resident. “I will also stock up properly with some consumables in case the previous situation repeats itself.”
On Saturday, Shanghai reported seven new local symptomatic cases from the previous day, one more than a day earlier, six of which were found outside quarantine areas.
The city also registered nine new local asymptomatic cases compared to six the previous day.
Mainland China reported 210 new cases of the coronavirus on June 10, of which 79 were symptomatic and 131 were asymptomatic, the National Health Commission said on Saturday.
That’s more than 151 new cases the day before – 45 symptomatic and 106 asymptomatic infections, which China counts separately.
As of Friday, mainland China had confirmed 224,659 cases of symptoms.
Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com
I’m registering
Report by Andrew Galbraith, Ryan Wu, Brenda Goo and the Shanghai Editorial Office; Edited by Kim Kogill and David Holmes
Our standards: Thomson Reuters’ principles of trust.
Add Comment