The fear of a second wave is rekindled. Eleven residential areas in southern Beijing are under containment due to the appearance of a new outbreak of coronavirus in a nearby market, authorities said on Saturday. Seven cases of Covid-19 contamination have been identified in the vicinity of the Xinfadi market, including six on Saturday, according to health authorities. Nine surrounding schools and kindergartens have been closed.
At first, the municipality of Beijing closed two markets Friday and postpone the return of primary school children after the appearance of three new cases of Covid-19 in the Chinese capital, after two months without any contamination. China, the first country affected by the virus in late 2019, has since managed to considerably curb the contagion, which has fallen in recent weeks to a handful of new cases every day. And the majority concerns Chinese nationals who have returned from abroad.
A new case of contamination of unknown origin
The last case so far recorded in the capital dates back to mid-April. But the city of Beijing reported on Thursday a new case of contamination of unknown origin, followed by two others on Friday.
The last two patients identified are employees of the Meat Research Center. One of them had recently gone to the city of Qingdao (east), officials of the Beijing city hall said to the press. Two Beijing markets where these two people had gone were closed on Friday in whole or in part before disinfection, according to the Beijing Daily .
Dozens of police were surrounding the area, AFP journalists said.
Return of students finally postponed
The authorities have also decided to postpone for an indefinite date the return of pupils from three primary classes, initially scheduled for Monday. Pekinese students have gradually resumed lessons in waves since the end of April, after three months of forced vacation and distance education.
According to official figures, the Covid-19 contaminated 597 people in Beijing and left nine dead.
The announcement of new cases caused concern on social networks. "Beijing is going to be out of control! Prevention must be improved quickly! A second wave is likely to arrive ”, worried a user of Weibo, the equivalent of Twitter in China. "I'm trembling with fear (...) I'm going to buy other masks. I hope it will be over soon, ”said another.
- Confinement
- epidemic
- Covid 19
- Beijing
- Coronavirus
- World