(Beijing) Beijing on Tuesday extended its screening campaign to most of its 22 million inhabitants, who still fear the imposition of a harsh confinement like in Shanghai, amid an increase in the number of coronavirus infections. .
Posted yesterday at 11:10 p.m.
China has been facing an epidemic outbreak since March that affects many provinces to varying degrees. It responds to this with a zero COVID-19 strategy, which consists in particular of confinements and quarantines.
In Shanghai, the 25 million inhabitants have been confined since the beginning of April. Many complain of difficulties in accessing food and the sending of positive people to quarantine centers with variable hygiene.
Fifty-two new deaths from COVID-19 and nearly 17,000 positive cases over 24 hours were announced there on Tuesday by the Ministry of Health.
In Beijing, where around 100 positive cases have been reported since last week, health authorities have called on residents of 12 out of 16 districts to perform three PCR tests this week.
Photo CARLOS GARCIA RAWLINS, REUTERS
Eleven new districts began testing their residents on Tuesday.
On Monday, residents and employees of Chaoyang District, the city’s most populous district, home to many multinationals, offices, embassies and shopping malls, were the first to begin this general screening campaign.
Eleven new districts began testing their residents on Tuesday.
Scalded by the example of Shanghai, Beijingers are storming supermarkets and online platforms selling fresh produce to increase their food stocks, in fear of confinement still possible.
No food shortage has been observed so far.
A total of 33 new positive cases were announced in Beijing on Tuesday, an increase from previous days.
But Beijing City Hall spokesman Xu Hejian said late Monday that the spread of the virus was still “under control”.
The authorities have urged companies to resort to teleworking. They also confined around 30 residential buildings and asked travel agencies to suspend group excursions in the capital.
A few days before the holidays from 1er-May, the town hall also called on Beijingers not to leave the city unless absolutely necessary.