Discovery of new COVID cases prompts Beijing to declare a ‘state of emergency’

A fresh wave of COVID-19 cases seems to have prompted local authorities in Beijing to declare a “state of emergency”.

The panic arose after six Covid cases were reported in China’s capital city on Saturday, bringing the total number of confirmed infections recorded since 14 December to 13. Prior to this, no new cases of COVID-19 were reported for 134 days, as per a report carried by The Print.

Global Times and People’s Daily China, both state-affiliated news organisations, reported that the local authorities have said that Beijing requires “all districts, departments and companies to enter a state of emergency, and adopt a more resolute attitude and stringent measures” to stop the spread of COVID in the city.

Beijing mayor Chen Jining also visited Shunyi district Saturday night, urging local officials to thoroughly complete epidemiological investigations and nucleic acid testing.

Since 14 December, Beijing has reported a total of 13 confirmed infections, three in Chaoyang district, one in Xicheng and nine others in Shunyi.

Some experts hinted there may be multiple sources of infections, while Feng Zijian, deputy director at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, was quoted as saying it must have been imported from overseas. Feng added that the city’s current measures were effective and it cannot fully avoid imported cases from causing locally-transmitted infections.

China had largely contained the virus with sporadic new cases even as several countries across the world are still struggling with the pandemic.