Covid comes to Beijing

Beijing residents must prove they are Covid negative to enter public spaces in a major tightening of restrictions in the Chinese capital. It is not clear how long the new measures will last, but the announcement comes as the city begins a five-day public holiday.

In contrast to many other countries, China is pursuing a zero-Covid strategy with the aim of eradicating the virus from the country completely. But the measures, such as strict lockdowns, have led to rare shows of public anger against the authorities.

Beijing’s new rules come days after the city launched mass testing for its millions of residents following a spike in cases. All dining in restaurants will also be halted between 1 and 4 May, with people being asked to cook at home.

The city has reported 295 new cases since 22 April. Of these, 123 cases were found in the Chaoyang, Beijing’s most populous district, which is now set for three rounds of mass testing.

The streets of Beijing were quiet at the start of the five-day Labour Day break. Many Beijing residents have rushed to stock up on food and daily necessities over the past week, fearing a Shanghai-style lockdown could cause shortages. Beijing authorities have already rolled out several rounds of mass testing, locked down dozens of residential communities and suspended schools, but restrictions were tightened further at the start of the holiday.

There are fears the city could face a similar situation to Shanghai, which has seen 25 million people shut in their homes for weeks and left some struggling to find food and other basics. 

Many local governments have ordered residents not to leave their cities unless absolutely necessary and have imposed lengthy quarantine requirements for people coming from areas where Covid cases have been reported. The Chinese Transport Ministry expects 100 million journeys to be made over the holiday — a 62 percent plunge from last year.

After the holiday, workers and students will be required to present a negative Covid test — taken within the previous 48 hours — to return to work or school. And starting from May 5, residents must provide a negative Covid test — taken within the previous seven days — to enter all public venues, including taking public transport. All residents are required to take a Covid test at least once a week, according to officials.