The Chinese capital Beijing has kicked off mass testing for millions of residents after a spike in Covid cases. The Chaoyang district reported 26 cases over the weekend – the highest number so far in Beijing’s latest surge.
Long queues outside supermarkets and shops were seen despite government assurances there is sufficient food. It comes amid fears that Beijing could face a similar situation to Shanghai, which has seen some 25 million people shut in their homes for weeks.
All 3.5 million residents in Chaoyang, Beijing’s most populous district, will undergo three rounds of mass testing, according to a notice by the city’s disease prevention team. The news prompted residents to rush to stock up essential supplies, with images circulating on local media showing supermarket shelves emptied of goods and snaking queues at check-out counters. Beijing’s major supermarkets also extended their opening hours to accommodate the spike in demand. Health experts as saying that the results of the mass testing would indicate whether there is a need to escalate measures further, such as locking down several areas.
Separately, Pang Xinghuo, deputy director of the Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control, told state-media outlet China Daily that the number of cases in Beijing is expected to increase in the following days.
Credit: bbc.com
