BEIJING (AP) — Beijing will conduct mass testing of most of its 21 million individuals, authorities introduced Monday, as a brand new COVID-19 outbreak sparked stockpiling of meals by residents frightened about the potential for a Shanghai-style lockdown.
The Chinese language capital started mass testing individuals in one in every of its 16 districts the place many of the new circumstances have been discovered. The town additionally imposed lockdowns on particular person residential buildings and one part of the town. Late within the day, well being officers mentioned the testing can be expanded Tuesday to all however 5 outlying districts.
Whereas solely 70 circumstances have been discovered because the outbreak surfaced Friday, authorities have rolled out strict measures beneath China’s “zero-COVID” method to attempt to forestall an additional unfold of the virus.
Some residents labored from house and lots of stocked up on meals as a safeguard in opposition to the likelihood that they might be confined indoors, as has occurred in a number of cities, together with the monetary hub of Shanghai. The town of Anyang in central China and Dandong on the border with North Korea turned the newest to begin lockdowns because the omicron variant spreads throughout the huge nation of 1.4 billion individuals.
Shanghai, which has been locked down for greater than two weeks, reported greater than 19,000 new infections and 51 deaths within the newest 24-hour interval, pushing its introduced dying toll from the continued outbreak to 138.
Beijing residents snapped up rice, noodles, greens and different meals objects as lengthy traces fashioned in supermarkets and retailer staff swiftly restocked some empty cabinets. State media issued reviews saying provides remained plentiful regardless of the shopping for surge.
Customers appeared involved however not but panicked. One girl, carrying two baggage of greens, eggs and frozen dumplings, mentioned she was shopping for somewhat greater than typical. A person mentioned he isn’t frightened however is simply being cautious since he has a 2-year-old daughter.
Beijing well being officers mentioned 29 new circumstances had been recognized within the 24 hours by way of 4 p.m. Monday, elevating the entire to 70 since Friday.
The town has ordered mass testing throughout sprawling Chaoyang district, the place 46 of the circumstances have been discovered. The three.5 million residents of Chaoyang, in addition to individuals who work within the district, have to be examined on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Testing websites have been arrange in a single day and within the early morning in Chaoyang at residential complexes and workplace buildings across the district. Residents and staff lined up on the short-term out of doors stations for a fast throat swab by a employee in full protecting gear. The testing is free.
“I believe Beijing ought to be effective,” mentioned Gao Haiyang as he waited on line for a COVID-19 take a look at. “Primarily based on the earlier response made by my group, if there’s any emergency, I believe provide could be assured. Plus there have been classes we realized from different cities. I believe we are able to make good preparations.”
Shanghai has buckled beneath a strict lockdown that has pushed residents to band collectively to get meals delivered by way of group shopping for. Items have backed up on the port of Shanghai, affecting provides and manufacturing facility manufacturing and placing a crimp on financial progress.
Beijing locked down residents in an space about 2 by 3 kilometers (1 by 2 miles), telling them to make money working from home and keep of their residential compounds. It wasn’t a complete lockdown however cinemas, karaoke bars and different leisure venues have been ordered closed.
Elsewhere, the town additionally shut down some or all buildings in 5 residential compounds, including to others that have been locked down on Sunday.
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Related Press video producer Olivia Zhang and researcher Yu Bing contributed to this report.
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