Beijing retains ‘full emergency mode’ amid Covid concerns ahead of Winter Olympics
China’s capital Beijing has urged its districts to maintain “full emergency mode” regarding Covid, less than a fortnight before the Winter Olympic Games begin.
Cities across the country have introduced tougher Covid measures in recent weeks, in an attempt to control new outbreaks of the virus.
In measures introduced earlier this month, travellers into Beijing must now get a Covid test within 72 hours of their arrival in the city.
There have been some 37 domestically transmitted cases with confirmed symptoms and five local asymptomatic carriers found in Beijing since 15 January, the city’s disease control authorities said.
Beijing and its neighbouring Hebei province will host the Olympics from 4 February. The Games will be carried out inside a “closed loop” separating athletes and other Games personnel from the general public.
China’s northeastern city of Harbin is to test its population of 10m people from Monday, in a precautionary move before the Lunar New Year holiday.
Harbin has not recorded any new cases but authorities said they wanted to be cautious ahead of the week-long holiday, beginning 31 January, as many people will travel across the country.
Mainland China reported 63 new Covid cases on 21 January down from 73 cases a day earlier, the country’s national health authority said on Saturday.