The Chinese capital of Beijing has entered “wartime emergency mode” amid a fresh cluster of coronavirus cases. More than 100 people have been diagnosed since last Thursday. Chinese authorities have restored strict lockdown controls and ramped up testing as they try to track the spread. Taiwan’s health minister says that China’s outbreak is unlikely to spread across the border, but that it could affect plans to reopen the borders.
Health minister Chen Shih-chung puts his John Hancock on caricatures, face masks, and T-shirts, all featuring him. He’s at the Taiwan Textile Research Institute to thank the Taiwan’s “national team” against the pandemic. He was received like a superstar.
The epidemic is easing in Taiwan, but across the strait, Beijing is going through a second wave of infections, with over 100 confirmed cases in five days. The WHO underscored the severity of the reemergence.
Tedros Ashanom Ghebreyesus
WHO director-general
Last week China reported a new cluster of cases in Beijing after more than 50 days without a case in that city. More than 100 cases have now been confirmed. The origin and extent of the outbreak are being investigated.
Chen Shih-chung
Health minister
The impact of this outbreak on Taiwan has been relatively small. Our borders are regulated based on Taiwan policy. There’s not a leak to be found. There is no effect right now. But it could have an impact on how we reopen our borders in the future.
If Taiwan is to reopen its borders, it must reassess its flight routes from epidemic areas. Since June 11, Beijing has seen an explosion in local COVID infections. The city’s government announced on Monday that all districts could be entering a “war-style” lockdown. Temperature checks are back at building entrances, with staff on patrol 24-7. Indoor sports and entertainment venues have all closed down.
Xu Ying
Beijing municipal party committee
Eleven neighborhoods near the Xinfadi Market and 10 neighborhoods near the Yuquandong Market have been put under “closed-off management,” with tests for 90,000 residents in process.
A systemic city-wide investigation was conducted to determine how many people have been to Xinfadi market since late May.
Xu Ying
Beijing municipal party committee
All communities in the city were investigated to find who had been to Xinfadi market since May 30. There are almost 200,000 people who had.
Local authorities have organized testing for each urban community and residents are being told to monitor their health at home. Up until this point, life in Beijing had been returning to normal. Now it’s back to strict controls.
Voice of Ms. Yu
Beijing resident
Two days ago, we opened up the main gates of our community, which had previously been shut. It was just like before the pandemic. But now things have changed again. Chaoyang is a disaster zone once again.
Voice of Mr. Yang
Beijing resident
The word on the street is that the outbreak in Xinfadi market is quite serious. Thousands of people are getting tested. It’s not clear exactly how many people were infected. Now we’re all waiting it out at home. People with elders at home don’t dare to go out.
The re-eruption of cases in Beijing was traced back to Xinfadi market. In an earlier investigation, the coronavirus was found on a chopping board used by a salmon seller in the market. Reports had questioned whether the salmon was to blame for the infections. The WHO says it’s possible.
Michael Ryan
WHO Health Emergencies Programme
There’ve been much research done on the potential for coronaviruses and other viruses to survive on many surfaces including packaging. In this particular case, I think, obviously it is one of the hypotheses and that hypothesis continues and needs to be further tested.
The second wave of infections is feared to have already spread outside Beijing, with new cases reported in the provinces of Liaoning, Hebei and Sichuan and in the cities of Dalian, Shenyang and Harbin. At least 10 administrative divisions in China have asked residents to report themselves to authorities if they recently visited Beijing. Many fear that if situation isn’t handled properly, Beijing could become the new Wuhan.
