Beijing's most populous district asks residents to stay put amid COVID spike
Nov 19, 2022
Beijing [China], November 19 : Beijing's daily number of COVID-19 infections has exceeded 400 cases, Chinese health officials said as they warned about the rising number of cases.
Chaoyang district, the worst-hit and also the most populous district in the city, advised residents to stay put during the weekend and not leave the area unless necessary, state media outlet Global Times reported.
This comes as Beijing recorded a total of 276 cases at the community level from Sunday to Thursday. Some 232 infections were reported on Friday, and 42 cases were found at the community level.
Addressing a press conference, a municipal government spokesperson on Friday said the Chinese capital has recently seen a surge in COVID-19 infections, with cases found at the community level continuing to increase and the scope of the wave gradually expanding.
"The occasional 'staying put' approach is a good way to cut off virus transmission as soon as possible and protect the health of all of us," Yang Beibei, deputy head of Chaoyang district, said on Friday, as quoted by the Global times.
Beibei also implored residents to continue to cooperate with the government.
The recent surge in Beijing's covid cases comes as experts have warned that some of China's economic downtown could likely be due to the zero-COVID policy.
The stringent policy measures, which continue to remain in the headlines, appear to have no end as cities in China continue to be under lockdown due to COVID-19 cases.
The lockdown imposed by Chinese authorities has affected businesses and people's livelihoods, impacting both supply and demand.
Notably, China has been adhering to a zero-COVID policy since the emergence of coronavirus cases, which includes mass testing and lockdowns. Amid the economic slowdown, Chinese President Xi Jinping is making attempts to "diversify the source of party legitimacy."
Writing in The Sydney Morning Herald, columnist Yun Jiang argued that two more sources of legitimacy have appeared from the party congress, which include common prosperity and nationalism.
