The number of cases recorded in the Chinese capital has exceeded 700 confirmed cases since late April, which is a large number for local authorities compared to the total number of infections in the city since the outbreak of the disease in late 2019, which has so far reached 2,600 injuries and 9 deaths.
Beijing– On the morning of last April 28, and without warning, the medical staff closed the main gates of a residential neighborhood in the center of the capital, Beijing, and asked residents not to leave their apartments, and health isolation procedures for a number of residents began due to suspected contact with a person who was confirmed to be infected with the new Corona virus.
This situation was not limited to a residential neighborhood only, but included 20 areas that health authorities in Beijing have classified as high-risk areas, whose residents are prohibited from leaving homes, and are subject to DNA testing on a daily basis.
Also, more than 30 areas were classified as moderately dangerous, in which the authorities are taking special measures that affect millions of residents.
The Chinese capital is facing a new wave of the Corona virus, the authorities were unable to determine the map of its spread, according to what was announced by Pang Xinghu, deputy director of the Beijing Municipal Center for Disease Control, who said during a press conference yesterday, Wednesday, that there are hidden sources of infection still in the Beijing community that require The race against time to prevent the spread of the epidemic.
confusion and resentment
Through real windows, residents monitor what is happening in the outer courtyards of residential neighborhoods, and through electronic windows, they search for answers to their questions about when the home quarantine will end or the best and fastest way to order food and other supplies.
Ku Sichuan, who works in the field of cosmetics marketing, says that what worries her is the lack of specific news about when the home quarantine will end, especially since her work requires field visits.
She adds to Al Jazeera Net, that each party places responsibility on the other when inquiring about a specific date for the end of the closure.
For her part, Ting Ting said that the management of the company she works with requested an official document confirming the presence of a home quarantine, otherwise the non-attendance will be considered days of absence and deducted from the salary.
In her interview with Al Jazeera Net, she indicated that violating the instructions regarding the closure and not cooperating with government agencies in combating the epidemic will expose her to punishment.
The Chinese authorities send text messages to residents’ phones warning them of violating epidemic prevention regulations during the home quarantine period, and threaten accountability in accordance with the Law of the People’s Republic of China on the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases.
One of the messages seen by Al Jazeera Net states that violators of the central isolation will be transferred at their own expense, and that their employers will be notified to take action against them.
Is the epidemiological situation in the city worrying?
Several regions in Beijing – especially Chaoyang, the most populous – continue to implement work-related policies to reduce presence in offices, in addition to suspending attendance in schools, closing gyms and entertainment venues, banning dining services in restaurants, closing dozens of bus lines and about 15% of the metro system. tunnels.
The city has carried out 4 consecutive rounds of DNA testing, each round spanning 3 days, and the results of each round determine the subsequent measures, but after the fourth round, Beijing continues to implement stricter closure measures that have led to major disruptions in daily life.
The number of cases that have been recorded in the Chinese capital has exceeded 700 confirmed cases since late last April, which is a large number for local authorities compared to the total number of injuries in the city since the outbreak of the disease in late 2019, which has so far reached 2,600 injuries and 9 deaths.
But the Chinese authorities are unwavering in their commitment to eliminating the coronavirus, instead of coexisting with it like many countries that ease or abandon measures, as Beijing adopts a “zero Covid” policy through which it seeks to prevent the spread of the disease in any part of its land without looking for the number of injuries.
Liang Wanyan, head of the National Health Commission’s Epidemic Response and Control Expert Team, summarizes the reasons for adhering to this policy, noting that the local sporadic cases that have been confirmed since April 2020 are linked to external cases, and that the current prevention and control situation in recent years proves that The implementation of this policy is in line with China’s actual situation.
Liang added that the new crown pneumonia epidemic remains a public health emergency of global concern, so the pressure to import the virus still exists if the borders are eased and borders open for the time being.
