Beijing Korean Community Tightens COVID Control Measures... Majority of Residents Undergo Nucleic Acid Testing

Beijing Wangjing street, deserted due to concerns over the resurgence of COVID-19. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

[Asia Economy Reporter Hana Na] A confirmed case of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) has been reported in Chaoyang (朝陽), a residential area for Korean residents in Beijing (北京), the capital of China, leading to strengthened control measures in Korean residential areas within Beijing.

According to the Korean Association in Beijing on the 26th (local time), residents of apartment complexes in the Wangjing (望京) area of Chaoyang (朝陽) District, the largest residential area for Korean expatriates and Korean employees in Beijing, must undergo nucleic acid testing from the 26th to the 27th. This includes local Chinese residents in the area.

Most Koreans living in Wangjing will carry their passports and visit temporary facilities set up within the apartment complexes to receive nucleic acid tests by the end of this weekend.

The National Health Commission of China announced on the 25th that two new COVID-19 cases were confirmed in Beijing in one day, both residents living near Chaoyang District.

A Korean resident in Wangjing said, "Until now, Wangjing was considered a safe zone and had never undergone mass testing, but as the COVID-19 situation in Chaoyang District, which includes Wangjing, has become unstable, it seems the authorities decided to test Wangjing residents."

Earlier on the 25th, Beijing city authorities locked down a commercial building in Wangjing, Chaoyang District, as its location overlapped with the movement paths of close contacts within the area.

The Korean Embassy in China stated, "The recent closure of a commercial building in Wangjing is not due to confirmed cases occurring in the Wangjing area, nor is it related to recent confirmed cases among Korean expatriates returning to Korea."

Meanwhile, Beijing city authorities officially confirmed in a briefing the previous day that one Korean expatriate was diagnosed as asymptomatic after returning to Korea. They also reported that tests conducted on 43 close contacts and related personnel at the workplace and residence have all returned negative results so far.

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