Beijing, China — Restaurants across Beijing will temporarily ban dining-in
and residents will need clear Covid tests to visit public spaces, officials
said Saturday, in a major ramp up of virus controls at the start of the Labour
Day holiday.
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The five-day break is typically one of China's busiest
travel periods, but the country's worst Covid resurgence since early in the
pandemic is expected to keep people home.
Faced with the highly transmissible Omicron variant, Chinese
officials have doubled down on their zero-Covid policy, quashing virus clusters
through mass testing and lockdowns.
Despite mounting economic costs and public frustration, the
capital city announced it would further restrict access to public spaces during
and after the holiday period.
From May 1 to 4, the city's eateries will halt dining-in,
and only allow deliveries, local commerce official Ding Jianhua told a press
briefing Saturday.
Authorities also said they have so far prepared 4,000
makeshift hospital beds -- typically used for patients with light or no Covid
symptoms -- and are speeding up set-up of larger quarantine sites.
A negative Covid test taken within the past week will also
be needed starting May 5 to enter "all kinds of public areas and to take
public transport", according to a notice on the city's official WeChat
page.
For activities such as sporting events and group travel,
participants will also need to show a negative Covid test taken within 48
hours, along with proof of "full vaccination," according to the new
rules.
- Frustration in Shanghai -China reported more than 10,700
domestic Covid cases on Saturday, with most in economic engine Shanghai.
The eastern metropolis has been sealed off for around a
month after becoming the epicenter of the latest outbreak.
Cases are trending downwards, yet frustration and anger is
boiling in the city of 25 million where many have been ordered to stay at home
for several weeks.
Shanghai officials said Saturday that its new cases were all
found among quarantined or restricted groups — signaling that community
infections could be slowing.
They added that hundreds of companies on a
"whitelist" have resumed work, with around 1,000 firms allowed to
restart operations too, state media said.
In Beijing, cases nudged up to 54, according to the National
Health Commission.
As the long holiday started, consumers in the capital were
asked to show proof of negative Covid tests — from within 48 hours — to enter
public areas such as malls, shops and scenic spots.
The city will make Covid testing free for residents starting
Tuesday, authorities said.
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