Beijing tightens COVID-19 prevention measures as the holiday begins

A 5-day holiday is often one of the busiest travel periods in the country Chinabut the worst COVID-19 resurgence since the beginning of the pandemic has many residents expected to stay at home.

Before the highly transmissible variant of Omicron, Chinese officials tightened the COVID-19 zero policy through mass testing and blockade of epidemic clusters.

According to Reuters, despite the economic loss, the Chinese capital announced it would further restrict access to public spaces after the holiday.

From May 5, in order to enter “all kinds of public areas and take public transport”, people need to have a negative COVID-19 test, according to an announcement on the official WeChat page of the city of Beijing.

For activities like sporting events and group travel, participants will also have to present a negative COVID-19 test done within 48 hours, along with proof of “fully vaccinated,” under the new regulations.

China reported more than 10,700 domestic COVID-19 cases as of April 30, with most of the cases in Shanghai.

Shanghai has been on lockdown for about a month after becoming the epicenter of a new outbreak. The epidemic in Shanghai is on a decreasing trend.

Meanwhile, in Beijing, the number of new cases reached 54, according to the National Health Commission.

As the long holiday season begins, consumers in the capital Beijing are required to present proof of negative COVID-19 tests within 48 hours to enter public areas such as shopping malls, shops and restaurants. goods and scenic spots.

The government said the city will conduct free COVID-19 testing for residents starting May 3.