Beijing issues directive to curb entry into capital amid outbreak

BEIJING • Beijing said individuals who recently visited overland ports of entry on China's borders should avoid the Chinese capital, with the national authorities concerned over the risk of Covid-19 transmission from abroad as they battle a month-long outbreak.

The small northern administrative divisions of Heihe, Erenhot and Ejina, along China's borders with Russia and Mongolia, were among the hardest-hit areas in a nationwide outbreak since the middle of last month that resulted in more than 1,200 domestically transmitted cases showing confirmed symptoms.

China has reported a total of 110,720 Covid-19 cases and 4,849 deaths, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

Although China's infection numbers are lower than those of many other countries, and a dozen provincial regions have brought the recent flare-up under control, the country is pursuing a zero-tolerance policy against local clusters, with stringent measures along international borders and other areas at higher risk for transmission.

People who have travelled in the previous two weeks to county-level administrative divisions with international overland ports of entry are advised not to enter the capital for non-essential purposes, effective from Wednesday, reported Beijing Daily.

The report did not mention any specific measures that would be taken to curb unnecessary entry to the area.

Those intending to enter the city should show proof of a negative Covid-19 test result from the previous 48 hours, Beijing Daily said.

Meanwhile, the country's Covid-19 czar reiterated the need to aggressively quash domestic infections early to keep the world's second-biggest economy largely intact and the people safe.

China has effectively contained local Covid-19 cases and has managed to limit severe infections, Xinhua news agency cited epidemiologist Liang Wannian as saying in an interview.

The nation's strict prevention measures - an approach that is contrary to most other countries' - have not hindered its economy, said Professor Liang, who heads the government's team of experts in coronavirus prevention.

He firmly defended the government's Covid-zero policy and called it the most efficient way to protect China's people.

Prof Liang's remarks are the latest affirmation of China's adherence to its Covid-zero approach, even as the authorities impose escalating restrictions on people's movements to contain the widest outbreak since the virus was first detected in Wuhan in late 2019.

Prof Liang said the Covid-zero policy does not mean that China would not tolerate a single infection, but rather, it enables early detection and a swift response to prevent a wider spread of the virus.

Tens of thousands of university students are under lockdown on their campuses in Dalian after the north-eastern city became the latest hot spot of infections.

China administered about 9.4 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines on Saturday, bringing the total number of doses administered to 2.382 billion, data from the National Health Commission showed yesterday.

REUTERS, BLOOMBERG