Beijing residents were enthusiastic about the privilege of eating in a restaurant, which they hadn’t had in the weeks.
The Chinese capital relaxed pandemic rules, including a food ban, at midnight on Monday after a partial blockade that lasted more than a month. The closure was not as severe as in Shanghai, but Beijing authorities stopped some public transport, forced some people to quarantine, and forced them to work from home in much of the city.
However, other measures were taken to prevent the spread of highly contagious variants of the Omicron virus, even when schools and offices were opened on the waves and public transport was restored. Everyone needs to wear a mask, check their body temperature, and undergo a PCR test for daily activities such as getting on the subway or going to work.
This measure underscores the Chinese authorities’ commitment to completely eradicate the virus, despite curbing economic growth and fueling public anger. These steps caused a limited and small protest. Nevertheless, some cities plan to carry out regular mass inspections even if there are no outbreaks in the area.
On Saturday, Liu Xiaofeng, deputy director of the city’s disease prevention and control center in Beijing, said at a news conference that the city’s overall epidemic was improving. However, he warned that “decisive measures” were needed to prevent the incident from recurring.
Authorities said there were six confirmed cases on Sunday in Beijing, with 86 reports nationwide, down from more than 29,000 new daily infections during the peak of this year’s outbreak in mid-April. Stated. The majority of peak cases were in Shanghai.
It is unclear how long the bailout will last, and after two months of severe blockade, the incident has recurred in Shanghai, which is struggling to reopen. On Sunday, the city reported infections in three local communities and urged health authorities to warn 25 million residents.
“The risk of an epidemic rebound still exists,” Shanghai health commissioner Wu Jin-lei said in a press conference on Sunday. “I can’t relax yet, but I have to be very vigilant.”
