A year ago, China recorded the first death of a man with Covid-19. Since then, after very strict containment measures, the epidemic seemed under control in the country of birth of this new coronavirus.
But China has just recorded its worst toll in five months. Nothing to do with European and American figures, but new cases are recorded at the gates of Beijing, with 103 new patients in 24 hours. It is therefore the turmoil of combat in the Chinese capital that hardens its measures to protect itself. 300 kilometers from Beijing, 18 million inhabitants are in quarantine, with the ban on leaving their homes. A second screening campaign will begin.
The highways that connect Hebei province to the capital are blocked by police. Returning to Beijing is more and more complicated for passengers arriving from abroad, they are subject to three weeks of quarantine and five screening tests validated by two laboratories. It only takes one case of Covid-19 on the plane for all passengers to be all treated as contact cases.
Since Monday morning, you have to present a negative QR code on your state of health to get in a taxi in Beijing. The capital is waging an intense fight, say the authorities : “Currently, Beijing is facing a severe test. The prevention and control of the epidemic is more difficult and complex, explains Xu Hejan, spokesman for the city of Beijing. We cannot relax for a single moment, we must neglect no track. We apply measures without compromise to guarantee the security of the capital“.
The city of Beijing has canceled the Chinese New Year Fair, a very popular event to mark the start of the year of the buffalo on February 12. School holidays have been brought forward for safety reasons.