China’s NHC announced yesterday that 31 new cases of Covid19 have been confirmed in Beijing. That brings the total number of new cases in the capital city to less than 200. Although that is still a relatively miniscule number, officials declared the situation in the capital “extremely severe” and have reimposed lockdowns as well as cancelled school and sporting events.
The new restrictions have been instituted throughout the city of 20 million, not just the southwestern neighborhood where the outbreak originated.
The minutes of a meeting by the Municipal Standing Committee of Beijing, the most powerful local body, describe the response as being “warlike” and the situation “very grim.”
New Covid19 cases in all of China numbered only 44 yesterday (including the 31 Beijing cases). Still, officials are worried that a new outbreak could easily spiral out of control in such a highly-populated and densely-populated city.
Temperature checks and registration are now required for entrance into residential compounds with some compounds forbidden from accepting visitors altogether for the time being.