BEIJING (AP) – Beijing has ordered more coronavirus tests for about 2 million people in its downtown area following the notification of new cases in the Chinese capital.
The city health department said all residents of Xicheng and Dongcheng districts are required to undergo tests on Friday and Saturday. Results are usually delivered via the smartphone app within a few hours.
In a Dongcheng neighborhood, several thousand people lined up in icy temperatures around a corner and lowered several blocks, waiting to enter a building for testing.
They included a group of garbage cans that stood out with their high-visibility red and green uniforms from others wearing dark winter jackets. Everyone was wearing a mask.
Mandatory testing has been a key feature of China’s push to contain a new wave of virus outbreaks, and many stores, office buildings, and residential buildings now require proof of a recent negative test performed on an app. of mobile to access.
Beijing registered only 19 new cases last week, but rigorous scanning has prompted the order to test all those who may have come in contact with someone carrying the virus.
Recent confirmed cases have occurred largely in suburban areas, but some of these had traveled to the city center before testing positive for the virus.