China, Capital Beijing 'Sasu Operation'

Strengthening Beijing's Quarantine Until the End of the Two Sessions, Including the 75% Tourist Capacity Rule
Beijing Effectively Locked Down During the Holiday... Do Not Enter or Exit

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Jo Young-shin] Chinese health authorities have launched a defense operation to protect the capital Beijing by applying the '75% rule' on visitor capacity at major tourist sites.

As the largest political event in China, the Two Sessions (Lianghui - National People's Congress and Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference) will begin on March 5 next year, it is expected that control over Beijing and COVID-19 prevention measures will continue until the conclusion of the sessions.

According to Chinese media including the state-run People's Daily and Xinhua News Agency on the 29th, the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism announced that it will apply the 75% rule at major tourist sites during the New Year and Lunar New Year holiday periods in response to domestic and international epidemic situations.

Residents of an apartment in Wangjing, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China, are lining up to undergo COVID-19 testing.

Accordingly, major tourist sites in Beijing will only accept visitors up to 75% of their maximum capacity. The 75% rule will also be applied to indoor public places such as theaters and performance venues.

For A-level tourist attractions such as the Forbidden City, the emergency plan has been elevated to the highest level, with strict adherence to capacity limits instructed. A prior reservation system will be introduced to minimize visitors to A-level tourist sites.

Additionally, during the Lunar New Year holiday period, government officials and employees of public enterprises are urged to avoid traveling outside Beijing as much as possible. The intention is for officials to set an example.

Group tour packages in Beijing will also be banned during the holiday period. Chinese health authorities have instructed travel agencies nationwide not to create travel packages for Beijing during the holidays.

Furthermore, if Beijing residents travel to other high-risk areas, travel agencies are prohibited from providing them with airline tickets or hotel reservation services.

This measure is effectively equivalent to a lockdown of Beijing. Until now, Chinese epidemic prevention authorities have regarded Beijing as a safe area, almost a COVID-19 clean zone.

Starting with one person who tested positive on the 14th at a hotel in Chaoyang District after completing quarantine upon arrival from Hong Kong, the number of infections in Beijing has been steadily increasing.

On the 29th, the Beijing Municipal Health Commission reported that 7 new confirmed cases occurred in Shunyi District in one day. As a result, the total number of confirmed cases in Beijing has risen to 20.

Beijing health authorities stated, "The current epidemic control situation in Beijing is very complex," and emphasized, "Strict compliance with control requirements must be maintained with a high level of vigilance."

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