Beijing tests millions to contain Covid outbreak that would have emerged in bar

Officials in China’s capital Beijing on Monday sought to contain a Covid-19 outbreak blamed on a 24-hour bar known for cheap drinks and large crowds, with millions facing mandatory testing and thousands under specific lockdowns.

The outbreak of 228 cases linked to the Heaven Supermarket Bar, which had just reopened after easing restrictions in Beijing last week, highlights how difficult it will be for China to succeed in its “zero Covid” policy while the rest of the world chooses for learning to live with the virus.

The resurgence of infections is also raising new concerns about the outlook for the world’s second-largest economy.

China is still reeling from a severe blow from a two-month lockdown in Shanghai, its most populous city and commercial hub, which has also affected global supply chains.

“Epidemic prevention and control is at a critical juncture,” Beijing health official Liu Xiaofeng told a news conference on Monday, adding that the outbreak linked to the bar in the city’s largest district, Chaoyang, “is still under way.” under development”.

Officials described the outbreak as “fierce” and “explosive” and said infected people live or work in 14 of the capital’s 16 districts.

Drinking and dining in most establishments in Beijing is an activity that only resumed on June 6, after more than a month in which the city of 22 million people imposed restrictions, including asking people to work from home and closing malls. and parts of the transport system.

Chaoyang began a three-day mass testing campaign among its roughly 3.5 million residents on Monday. About 10,000 contacts close to the bar’s customers were identified and their residential buildings were blocked.