Beijing’s most populous Chaoyang district has announced three rounds of mass testing to quell a “wild” COVID-19 outbreak that hit a bar in a nightclub and shopping area last week, shortly after the city eased restrictions imposed during a epidemic in April. City health officials say 166 confirmed cases have been reported so far in connection with the outbreak at the Heaven Supermarket in the Sanlitun area on Thursday, 145 of which were bar patrons. Mass tests will take place between Monday and Wednesday in the Chaoyang area, where the bar is located, officials said in a press conference. The overall number of pandemic cases and deaths remains extremely low in China compared to many countries around the world. However, even though much of the world has eased the restrictions, the Chinese authorities are maintaining their zero-COVID-19 policy, trying to eliminate cases early with measures that include severe travel restrictions and mass testing. Xu Hejian, a spokesman for the Beijing city government, said in a statement on Sunday that the current outbreak in the capital was “wild”. “At the moment, the risk of further spread still exists. “The most urgent task at the moment is to identify the source of the complex and also to manage and control the risks,” he said, adding that Beijing must prevent “epidemic boosters” from occurring. Two buildings housing hundreds of residents in a Chaoyang complex came under severe lockdown on Sunday after a single positive incident, a housing committee official told Reuters. Large metal roadblocks were installed around the complex. Staff in hazmat uniforms carrying disinfectant entered the building and additional security and police were introduced at the exits. Many nearby businesses, including Paradise Massage & Spa, were also temporarily locked in with police tape and security personnel barring in to prevent them from leaving. A handful of customers and staff at the salon would be locked up for at least two days during the checks, a government official told Reuters. Some Beijing residents said they received many messages on Sunday telling them to report to their neighborhood organizations if they had recently visited the Sunlitun bars. It has been just a week since state media reported that Beijing would further relax COVID restrictions by allowing indoor food. In Shanghai, which is subject to two months of quarantine until early June, authorities announced a round of testing on Saturday for more than 25 million people. Shanghai officials told reporters they found one accidental and four asymptomatic cases as of Sunday afternoon, after identifying 10 new local symptoms and 19 local asymptomatic cases a day earlier. Catering services will be allowed to resume at a number of restaurants and eateries in three suburban districts, Shanghai officials said. China reported 275 new cases of coronavirus as of June 11, of which 134 were symptomatic and 141 asymptomatic, the National Health Commission said on Sunday. No new deaths were reported, leaving the total pandemic toll at 5,226. As of Saturday, mainland China had confirmed 224,781 cases with symptoms. China’s trading hub, Shanghai, will lock millions of people in mass COVID-19 tests this weekend, just 10 days after the exhausting two-month lockdown was lifted. This worries residents and raises concerns about the impact of business. Reuters Our Morning and Afternoon Newsletters are compiled by Globe editors, giving you a brief overview of the day’s most important headlines. Register today.
