Beijing Reports 36 New COVID-19 Cases, Spread Raises 'Emergency' Concerns

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Hyun-seok] In Beijing, the capital of China, new COVID-19 cases have reoccurred after 57 days. As the number of confirmed cases increased by 36 in just one day, city authorities declared that they have already entered an 'emergency period.'

According to Huanqiu Shibao on the 14th, the Beijing COVID-19 Leading Group held a countermeasure meeting the previous day and announced that COVID-19 infections have recently surged explosively.

The Leading Group pointed out that the recent increase in confirmed cases is related to the Xinfadi (新發地) wholesale market, a large agricultural and aquatic products market.

In Beijing, after one new confirmed case was reported on the 11th, six cases were added on the 12th, and 36 more on the 13th. At a meeting chaired by Cai Qi, Beijing Party Secretary, it was emphasized that the Xinfadi market would be sealed off and closed management would be implemented, prohibiting entry and exit in surrounding residential complexes.

Eleven residential complexes near the Xinfadi market have been locked down, and classes at three elementary schools and six kindergartens have been suspended.

The meeting also called for expanding the scope of medical observation and nucleic acid testing to trace the virus origin. Nucleic acid tests will be conducted on all Xinfadi market workers and nearby residents, and comprehensive disinfection of the Xinfadi market is planned.

Additionally, the Beijing COVID-19 Leading Group announced that management and quarantine of people and cargo entering Beijing from overseas will be strengthened.

They also stated, "We must learn from this failure and tighten epidemic prevention measures," urging to "firmly block transmission routes and suppress the spread."

The meeting revealed that experts from the National Health Commission will be dispatched to Beijing to lead epidemic prevention efforts.

As COVID-19 cases continue to rise daily in Beijing, four areas have been upgraded to medium-risk COVID-19 zones: two areas in Fengtai (豊臺) District, where the Xinfadi market is located, and one area in Xicheng (西城) District.

Fengtai District announced, "A command center has been established to respond to the COVID-19 spread," and that measures akin to a "wartime situation" will be implemented.

Along with this, Haidian (海淀) District has reinstated level 2 epidemic prevention response measures across all communities, requiring temperature checks upon entering residential complexes.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.