Coronavirus – China: Subway stations closed to curb spread

Beijing may count a few dozen cases however, it was decided to close dozens of metro stations to limit movement and limit the transmission of the coronavirus.

Forty stations, about 14% of Beijing’s network, have been shut down, many of them near lockdown zones, according to an announcement on the WeChat platform. “The entrances and exits of the stations will be closed, but the transfer (to another line) can be done inside the stations,” according to the announcement.

“I think the city is already half-restricted,” said a Beijing resident who spoke on condition of anonymity. “There is no timetable for lifting this measure and more and more points are being sealed,” he told AFP.

Another resident, aged 35, said he was shopping online to avoid any contact with other residents in the supermarket. “No one can really say how long the restrictions will last; but I understand the logic,” he said.

The worst epidemic outbreak

THE Chinawhich has largely managed to control the pandemic for two years, is facing its worst epidemiological outbreak in recent weeks.

The majority of cases are recorded in Shanghai where residents have been in lockdown for over a month. In the financial capital of the country, every resident who is positive for the coronavirus is sent to one of the quarantine centers, where poor health conditions usually prevail.

Residents of the capital, where 51 new cases were announced today, fear that their city will in turn be in lockdown. Residential complexes where infections are recorded are locked so that residents do not leave them.

During Labor Day, a time when the Chinese usually travel, tourist spots were almost deserted. Restaurants are barred from serving customers and residents have begun stockpiling food and basic necessities as they fear a possible lockdown.