China's capital Beijing steps up COVID-19 measures as outbreak persists

BEIJING: China’s capital Beijing said on Wednesday it will investigate all individuals who entered the city from abroad from Dec. 10 and shut down a subway station after reporting the biggest daily jump in new COVID-19 cases in more than three weeks.

The measures come amid what has become the country’s most severe COVID-19 outbreak since March 2020 ahead of the key Chinese Lunar New Year holiday season, when hundreds of millions travel, raising fears of another major COVID-19 wave that could bring the country back into a debilitating standstill.

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The National Health Commission said on Wednesday that a total of 103 new COVID-19 cases were reported on Jan. 19, down from 118 a day earlier. Northeastern Jilin province reported 46 new cases, however, setting another record in daily cases, while Hebei province surrounding Beijing reported 19 new cases.

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Beijing reported seven new cases, matching the total reported on Dec. 28. Of these new patients, six patients live in Daxing district and the city’s subway operator said it shut down the Tiangong Yuan metro station located nearby the Daxing patients as part of COVID-19 prevention measures.

Communist Party-backed Beijing Daily said the capital’s party and government leadership met late Tuesday and agreed to further tighten monitoring, minimize public gatherings and reduce passenger loads in public transport.

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