Beijing Sees New COVID-19 Cluster Infections Drop to Single Digits

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Park Sun-mi] The cluster infection that started at Xinfadi Market, Beijing's largest agricultural and aquatic products wholesale market, is showing signs of subsiding.

On the 22nd, the National Health Commission of China announced that as of 0:00 on that day, 18 new COVID-19 cases were reported. Among them, 9 new cases were from Beijing.

The number of COVID-19 cases related to Beijing's Xinfadi Market has reached 236 since the first patient was identified on the 11th. Including 5 new asymptomatic cases added on that day, the total number of asymptomatic infections has reached 22.

However, the positive news is that the number of new cases, which had been in double digits from the 13th to the 20th, dropped to a single digit of 9 on the 21st.

Wu Zunyu, a chief expert at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, stated at a press conference on the 18th, "The cluster infection of COVID-19 in Beijing is already under control," signaling a calming of the situation.

Beijing authorities are tightening quarantine measures by increasing the maximum capacity for nucleic acid testing from 100,000 to 230,000 people and conducting nucleic acid tests on all delivery workers and food couriers exposed to infection risks to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

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