The rapid closure meant that the building in the west of the city was closed without warning, with anyone inside unable to leave and subject to mandatory Covid testing. The decision to close the office came after an employee tested positive for Omicron on Saturday — the first recorded case of the highly transmissible variant in the city.
For the past week, officials in Beijing were on high alert as an Omicron outbreak spread in Tianjin, a major port city just a 30-minute high-speed train ride. The cluster had already spread to two other cities, hundreds of miles away.
According to detailed surveillance data collected by officials, the Omicron-infected Beijing woman had not come into contact with a confirmed case and had not left the capital for the past 14 days, raising fears that the variant might already be spreading in the community. to spread.
Unlike most of the world, China is pursuing a zero-Covid strategy based on strict restrictions, including mass testing, lockdowns and lengthy quarantine for international arrivals.
The single case in Beijing has been identified at the worst possible time for the city as it prepares to welcome thousands of athletes to the Olympics – including from countries where Omicron is raging.
The risk of the variant spreading among Beijing locals outside the so-called Olympic bubble — intended to keep participants separate from the general public — comes as authorities warned of the “double pressure of domestic and imported cases”.
After the woman’s case was confirmed, authorities sprang into action by imposing uncompromising rapid lockdowns – locking people up in places such as office buildings – and extensive contact tracing and testing in high-risk areas.
The residential complex where the confirmed case resides is just a 15-minute drive from Olympic Park. The entire community has since been shut down while people are being tested and authorities are taking environmental samples. DailyExpertNews employees driving past the complex over the weekend noticed large barriers in place to prevent anyone from coming or going.
Residents inside get fresh air, unlike stricter lockdowns in other parts of the country that lock people up in their apartments, but they can’t leave community boundaries. The waste begins to pile up in the complex, and only specially designated removal teams are allowed to process it. Many nearby businesses are closed.
The woman’s workplace has been similarly closed off, with marquees outside to conduct and process Covid testing for everyone inside until the building is declared safe to reopen.
More than 16,000 people linked to those sites have been tested and all results so far have been negative, authorities said Monday — and the city has yet to report any further cases. At a press conference, authorities raised the possibility that the woman contracted the virus after handling international mail.
After news of the single Beijing case emerged, many schools in the affected districts switched students to online learning this week and the city closed a number of scenic spots and temples. From January 22, all arrivals in the capital must undergo Covid testing both before and after arrival.
And despite the imminent arrival of thousands of Winter Olympians before the start of the Games on February 4, Beijing has decided to suspend dozens of international flights. As of Wednesday, all flights from the United States to China have been canceled or likely to be suspended.
While additional infections could lead to more restrictions in the coming days, there’s no need to overreact to a single case, which wouldn’t affect the Olympics, Wang added.
The Beijing crowd seemed to share his sentiments, with crowds coming to the fore for winter festivities on weekends, in stark contrast to local lockdowns in some districts. On Sunday, many families flocked to a popular lake to skate on the frozen water.
Many cities are now imposing restrictions, such as closing public areas and banning dining services in restaurants, as well as suspending air travel to the capital.
Posts and videos on Chinese social media last week show several targeted snap lockdowns in Shanghai, trapping those unlucky enough to be around. At one mall, shoppers were stuck for two days, with officials testing everyone inside and ordering a thorough clean before reopening.
A video posted to social media showed a woman outside the mall crying and reaching out to a small toddler staring behind its glass doors.
The measures may seem extreme, but they remain widely popular with much of the Chinese public, the vast majority of whom are able to enjoy life normally.
And with such high stakes, the authorities are not taking any chances, knowing that all eyes are on Beijing as the Games approach.
DailyExpertNews’s Nectar Gan contributed to this report.