Beijing tames new infections of COVID-19 in less than one month

Beijing has effectively controlled its recent outbreak of COVID-19 infections related to a major wholesale market as the city reported no new confirmed cases for the eighth consecutive day on Monday.

From June 11 to Monday, the city reported 335 confirmed domestically transmitted cases, of whom 205 remain hospitalized and 130 were discharged from Beijing Ditan Hospital.

After the city saw a resurgence in locally transmitted COVID-19 cases, mostly related to the large Xinfadi farm produce market in Fengtai District, the municipal government adopted swift and targeted measures to curb the spread of the virus.

Here is a look at how Beijing has brought the new infections under control in less than one month:

Beijing reported a new confirmed locally transmitted COVID-19 case on June 11 after the city had seen 57 days with no such cases.

An epidemiological investigation was carried out immediately, which traced 38 close contacts. All places that the patient had visited and may have been potentially exposed to the virus, including Xinfadi, were identified.

On June 12, environmental samples tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Xinfadi. At the same time, more epidemiological investigations were carried out as several new confirmed cases were reported.

To control the new infections, the disease control and prevention centers at the city and district levels organized more than 500 epidemiological investigators, who can be immediately dispatched to conduct investigations if any new cases are reported.

“We usually have three people in a group, two go into the quarantine area, and the third is responsible for support and disinfection,” 33-year-old epidemiological investigator Li Ruoxi said. He explained they communicated with the patient and his or her family about the patient’s recent activities and contact history over the 14 days before hospitalization.

Thanks to timely and effective epidemiological investigations, Xinfadi was targeted as a high-risk location within 22 hours of the new outbreak. Beijing immediately suspended the market, closed down nearby residential communities and conducted concentrated medical observation of traders from Xinfadi.

To cope with the rebound in locally transmitted COVID-19 cases, Beijing deployed targeted lockdowns instead of confining everyone to their homes that risked reversing the gains made after the resumption of work.

Precise control measures have been taken by designating subdistricts and townships as low-, medium- or high-risk areas according to their epidemic situation.

In this way, the lives of people in low-risk areas would be minimally affected. With health QR codes showing their digital travel records, deliverymen and other service providers are allowed to enter residential communities, and residents can access certain public venues and travel in the city freely. Conversely, some key areas, apartment blocks and housing compounds in medium- and high-risk areas were put under closed-off management.

To prevent the spread of the virus, the city tightened the control of the flow of personnel to other places.

For example, those from medium- and high-risk areas and relevant people from the Xinfadi market were not allowed to leave Beijing. Previously, a negative nucleic acid test certificate issued within the past seven days was also a must for those who intended to leave the city. The certificates were no longer required for people from Beijing’s low-risk areas starting from July 4 as the epidemic situation improved.

Huaxiang Township in Fengtai District, the only remaining high-risk area in the city, has been downgraded to a medium-risk area after fewer than 10 local confirmed cases had been reported for 14 consecutive days.