Beijing Also Breached... Partial Lockdown in Chaoyang District

Published 25 Apr.2022 16:36(KST)

On the afternoon of the 25th, a long queue formed at a nucleic acid (PCR) testing site in Chaoyang District, Beijing, the capital of China, where an emergency was declared due to the spread of COVID-19. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] Beijing, the capital of China, has begun de facto lockdown measures in some areas due to the spread of COVID-19.

Chaoyang District in Beijing, with a population of 3.5 million, designated about 15㎢ area centered on some regions with concerns of infection spread as temporary management control zones on the 25th.

Residents living in the management control zones are not allowed to leave these zones, and unless for essential reasons, they are also prohibited from leaving their residential complexes.

Additionally, companies within the management control zones are, in principle, ordered to have employees work from home, and essential personnel for business operations are required to live in a 'closed loop' system isolated from the outside.

Restaurants, cinemas, libraries, art galleries, museums, karaoke rooms, and PC rooms are temporarily suspended. However, stores selling basic daily necessities, supermarkets, and hospitals are allowed to operate normally.

Chaoyang District plans to conduct two rounds of full nucleic acid (PCR) testing on the 25th and 27th for all people in the designated zones, and if all test negative, the management control zone designation will be lifted.

Chaoyang District includes Beijing Capital International Airport, the National Stadium (nicknamed Niaochao) where the Beijing Summer and Winter Olympics were held, the headquarters of state-run China Central Television (CCTV), some national embassies, and Wangjing, where many Koreans reside. However, these facilities or areas are outside the management control zones.