Beijing started a new round of daily mass testing in one of its major districts after a rapidly spreading outbreak linked to a bar saw COVID rules tightened again in the Chinese capital.
The outbreak prompted authorities in the sprawling Chaoyang district on Monday to put schools back online, with the exception of students taking middle and high school placement exams.
Chaoyang district – home to high-end shops, multinational firms and embassies – started a three-day testing drive for all its 3.5 million residents and sealed off several downtown residential compounds and malls over the weekend.
“I’m pretty worried even though I don’t drink at bars regularly,” 22-year-old admin staffer Wang Yuqi told the AFP news agency.
“Even after restaurants reopened on June 6, I’ve been mostly staying at home and cooking my own meals outside of work.”
China is the last major economy still committed to a zero-COVID strategy, stamping out new cases with a combination of targeted lockdowns, mass testing and lengthy quarantines.
A night of partying by one Beijing resident last week threw the city’s tentative reopening into chaos, leading authorities to shutter nightlife venues in the downtown district of Chaoyang days after they reopened last Monday.
The resident, who did not get tested for 14 days, went to several bars and nightlife venues in Chaoyang in the days before and after developing a fever.
The outbreak stemming from the Heaven Supermarket bar has infected at least 183 people in 15 districts so far.