China: Beijing, the capital of China, reported a record number of new cases of Covid on Tuesday as the city was placed under rigorous restrictions and quick lockdowns of certain buildings without a formal “citywide shutdown.” Authorities have closed down companies, offices, and schools, closed many restaurants, and mandated that staff members work from home.
Beijing has seen a steady increase in new cases from 621 on Sunday to 962 on Monday and 1438 on Tuesday, which has been officially proclaimed a pandemic record for the city. Beijing has long PCR testing lines because most public areas that are still open require a 24-hour negative test in order to enter.
Authorities recommended citizens not to travel between districts over the weekend; they should stay at home. Nearing a record high since the epidemic started, mainland China saw more than 28,000 new infections, with Guangdong province and the city of Chongqing registering more than 16,000 and 6,300 cases, respectively.
China recently made “optimisation” to its anti-coronavirus policies in order to lessen the negative economic and social effects of zero-Covid measures, which included shortening the mandatory quarantine periods for visitors from abroad. The optimised policy, however, is being put to the test by the most recent outbreak escalation as officials try to prevent city-wide lockdowns like the two-month struggle Shanghai saw in April.