Following a string of outbreaks, residents of a Beijing neighbourhood with a population of 2 million were ordered to undergo mass coronavirus testing on Sunday as China strengthened anti-disease restrictions ahead of the Winter Olympics.
Following the discovery of 25 cases in the Fengtai neighbourhood and 14 elsewhere in the Chinese capital, the administration advised residents in high-risk areas not to leave the city.
As Beijing prepares to inaugurate the Winter Games on February 4 under tight anti-virus regulations, the ruling Communist Party is tightening up enforcement of its “zero tolerance” plan aimed at isolating every infected person.
Residents of Fengtai lined up on snow-covered sidewalks on Sunday for testing.
A city government spokeswoman, Xu Hejian, told a press conference that the Chinese capital must “take the most resolute, decisive, and stringent steps to halt the epidemic’s transmission chain.”
“Residents in high-risk locations should not leave Beijing,” Xu said.
In the 24 hours leading up to midnight Saturday, 56 additional confirmed cases were reported around the country. According to the National Health Commission, 37 of the infections were acquired abroad.
Since the outbreak began, China has reported 4,636 deaths out of 105,603 confirmed cases and seven suspected cases.
The Olympics are being hosted under tight security, with athletes, reporters, and authorities being separated from the rest of the world. After arriving in China, athletes must be immunised or undergo quarantine.
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