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Abrupt lockdowns loom over Beijing life ahead of Olympics
Beijing residents are coping with abrupt local lockdowns and sweeping COVID-19 testing requirements as the Chinese capital seeks to prevent a coronavirus outbreak ahead of the opening of the Winter Olympics in less than two weeks.
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BEIJING – Beijing residents are coping with abrupt local lockdowns and sweeping COVID-19 testing requirements as the Chinese capital seeks to prevent a coronavirus outbreak ahead of the Winter Olympics that opens in less than two weeks.
The lockdowns are part of China’s “zero tolerance” measures to fight the pandemic that have been ratcheted-up ahead of the Games. Those now include requiring tests for anyone who purchases medications to treat cold, cough, fever and other maladies.
University student Cheryl Zhang said that the health code app that all Chinese have installed on their smart phones began notifying her to get tested after she bought medication four days previously.
“I was seriously panicking,” said Zhang, who was taking a stroll across the street from the Olympic Village. “But when I got to the hospital and saw the medical workers striving to keep things in order, I didn’t feel angry any more. The problem was sorted out very quickly.”
At the Anzhen residential community about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) from the main Olympic Village, residents were confined to their homes from Sunday morning until Tuesday afternoon. A notice said one building remained under isolation.
No word was given about confirmed cases in the area, but all residents were required to be tested for COVID-19, with a second round scheduled for Thursday. Residents must continue monitoring their health for two weeks following the lifting of quarantine.
The strict policies are credited with suppressing major outbreaks. China on Tuesday reported a mere 18 cases of local infection, including five in Beijing. Few have protested the policies, a reflection also of China's authoritarian Communist Party that restricts free speech and tolerates no opposition.
However, at the Anzhen community, an elderly resident said he wished authorities would provide more information.