Coronavirus crisis envelops Beijing, flights cancelled and schools closed

The propaganda unleashed by China over its successful management of coronavirus and helping the world with its experience in controlling the infection has turned on its head as capital  city Beijing witnesses rising numbers of infection cases.

Over the past week, the Chinese capital has been dealing with daily new infections surfacing in food markets and residential areas. Dozens of areas in the capital city have been put under lockdown and the number seems to be increasing.

China has cancelled a total of 1,255 flights to Beijing on Wednesday since the municipal government increased the emergency level by Covid-19 on Tuesday. Beijing’s municipal government had said on Tuesday that the city was in “war-time mode” to tackle the new outbreak, and more than 100,000 workers are monitoring 7,120 neighbourhoods to prevent the infection from spreading.

The latest outbreak seems to started last Thursday from the Xinfadi wholesale market. The coronavirus pandemic is believed to have started from a Wuhan wet market late last year. However, many countries believe that the virus leaked out inadvertently from a Chinese laboratory in Wuhan. The communist country is under global pressure to share correct information on the origins of the virus.

The Undersecretary General of the Beijing municipal government, Chen Bei, had announced on Tuesday that the city was going from the third to the second level of emergency. This has resulted in suspension of all face-to-face classes in primary, secondary and higher education, and residents are advised to work from home. Communities in "high" risk areas will be sealed and no movement of people will be allowed.

While markets have been closed, libraries, museums and parks will open with reduced timings and reduced capacity of upto 30 per cent. Interprovincial flights are suspended and transprovincial group travel also has been prohibited as the situation in Beijing has turned serious.

The return to normalcy after the city lowered the emergency level in early June has been put on hold as the authorities once again focus on preventing the virus from spreading or reaching other cities.

On the other hand, nucleic acid tests continue for all those who have had contact with confirmed cases or who have visited the market of Xinfadi, the main one of the metropolis, closed since Saturday.

In addition to testing and control and prevention measures, Beijing has stepped up inspection of the fresh produce, frozen pork, veal, lamb and poultry markets, and other businesses, including supermarkets and restaurants, are examined to ensure they are not in circulation. products contaminated with the pathogen..