Beijing mandates Covid report within 48 hours for entry into public places
1 min read 22 Nov 2022, 05:41 PM ISTAmid tight measures against Covid-19, the second-largest economy in the world continues to be in uncertainty
PremiumThe Covid-19 graph of China seems nowhere near control despite its Zero Covid policy as the capital city, Beijing has reported 634 cases till 3:00 PM on Tuesday, deputy director of the city's municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Liu Xiaofeng informed in a press briefing. A government spokesperson also informed about the new rules for entry into public places in Beijing.
From 24 November, for entry into public places of the capital city like shopping malls, hotels, government buildings, etc. a negative PCR test result within 48 hours will be mandatory.
The move came amid China's increasing struggle to deal with rising cases of Covid-19. On Monday, the country reported 28,127 new domestically transmitted cases which were almost around its peak of April. The two cities of Guangzhou and Chongqing are particularly affected and account for almost half of the total cases of Covid-19.
The capital city of Beijing has shut down most of the public places like parks and museums and is imposing stringent precautionary measures on the remaining. The mass testing is back in the capital and the hopes of the reopening don't seem to be near.
"Some of our friends went bankrupt, and some lost their jobs." We can't do many activities we intended to do, and it is impossible to travel. So we really hope that the pandemic can end as soon as possible," 50-year-old Beijing retiree surnamed Zhu told news agency Reuters.
Not just the capital, China's other financially important city Shanghai, is showing no signs of normalcy. The city administration on Tuesday ordered the closure of cultural and entertainment venues in 7 of its 16 districts.
Amid the global slowdown in the economy, harsh measures by China with strict lockdowns are dampening the confidence of investors furthermore. The stock market is not liking the uncertainty and expected cuts in the demand of oil by China is also not going well for the global oil supply chain.
With inputs from Reuters
