In recent days, the city of Beijing has been greatly affected by the wave of contagion, which is spreading very quickly. According to state media, Vice Prime Minister Sun Chunlan warned that the number of new cases in Beijing is “increasing rapidly”. The city has 22 million inhabitants.
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These accelerated infections in Beijing have caused a shock in the country, as only a minimal portion of the country's 1,4 billion inhabitants have tested positive for Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic at the end of 2019.
The Asian country eased drastic restrictions last week, after almost three years of trying to completely eradicate the virus. The government decreed the end of automatic hospitalization in quarantine centers for people who test positive for the virus and interrupted large-scale PCR testing campaigns, which were almost mandatory.
As a consequence, the number of people taking tests has decreased considerably and the notification of new cases has fallen, which gives the false impression of a better situation. The National Health Commission stated, however, that the data no longer reflects reality.
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“Many asymptomatic people no longer receive PCR tests, which makes it impossible to accurately determine the true number of asymptomatic people infected,” a statement said.
The vast majority of Chinese now opt for pharmacy testing and many cases go unreported by authorities – but the Chinese government appears determined to press ahead with opening up. Beijing tourism authorities announced on Tuesday (13) the resumption of group visits inside and outside the capital.
