BEIJING: Residents of Shanghai and parts of Beijing have been ordered to undergo further rounds of COVID-19 testing after new cases were discovered in the two cities, while Hong Kong, Macao and other Chinese cities have tighter restrictions.
Shanghai has just emerged from a strict lockdown that has confined most of its 24 million residents to their homes for weeks and the new requirements have raised concerns about a return to such drastic measures.
The latest outbreak has been linked to a karaoke parlor in China’s biggest city, a major international trade center, which, according to the city’s health commission, failed to implement containment measures among employees and customers. The city’s culture and tourism department said all such outlets have been ordered to temporarily suspend business.
Shanghai’s lockdown prompted unusual protests both in person and online against the government’s strict enforcement, leaving many residents struggling to access food and medical services and sending thousands to quarantine centres.
Beijing has also seen a recent outbreak linked to a nightlife spot. It has been conducting routine tests for weeks and at least one residential complex in the suburb of Shunyi, which is home to many foreign residents, was cordoned off with a steel fence installed at its entrance to prevent residents from leaving was.
Enforcement in China’s capital has been far milder than in Shanghai, although authorities require regular testing and containment measures.
In the northern city of Xi’an, whose 13 million residents endured one of China’s strictest lockdowns over the winter, restaurants have been restricted to takeout only and public entertainment venues for a week starting Wednesday. have been given. have been given.
A notice on the city government’s website said the measures were only temporary and aimed at preventing the possibility of a new outbreak. It said supermarkets, offices, public transport and other facilities are operating as normal, with regular checks including temperature checks and people needing to show an app to prove they are free of infection.
Neighboring Hong Kong has also seen an increasing trend of coronavirus infection since mid-June. In the last seven days, the average daily infection was recorded at around 2,000 per day.
The city’s new leader, John Lee, said on Wednesday that Hong Kong should not lie “flat” when it comes to COVID-19, rejecting the “living with the coronavirus” mentality that most people in the world have. has adopted. has been adopted.
His remarks echo the sentiments of Chinese officials, who are sticking to their “zero-Covid” policy, who are closely identified with the president and ruling Communist Party chief Xi Jinping.
However, Lee has said that Hong Kong authorities are exploring options, including reducing the period of mandatory quarantine for arriving travelers. Currently, passengers must test negative for COVID-19 before flight and quarantine for seven days in designated hotels upon arrival.
Once a busy business center and international financial hub, the city has paralyzed tourism and business travel due to its strict entry restrictions.
The strict measures remain in place, despite a relatively small number of cases and severe negative effects on China’s economy and global supply chains.
The World Health Organization recently called the policy untenable, an idea Chinese officials dismissed outright, while they say they hope to minimize the impact.
While China’s borders remain largely closed, officials have cautiously increased flights from some foreign countries, most recently Russia, cutting off both incoming tourists and outbound tourism.
Mainland China on Wednesday reported 353 cases of domestic transmission, of which 241 were asymptomatic.
Shanghai announced only 24 cases in the past 24 hours, and Beijing five. Anhui announced 222 cases in what appears to be the latest cluster, prompting the inland province to order mass testing and travel restrictions in Si County, where the majority of cases have been reported.