Analysis: Is COVID-19 limping, looming and re-gripping Beijing?

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services) 

It has become an eye opener and cause of concern for many countries as gradually the new coronavirus cases have started re-emerging in Beijing, the capital city of China.

As per latest reports, Beijing reported four new confirmed cases of COVID-19 from 4 pm to 12 pm on June 12, totaling seven confirmed cases during the two days, with all having close connection with the just closed Xinfadi agricultural products wholesale market in the city's Fengtai district. 

Except for one confirmed patient who went on a business trip to Qingdao in Shandong province, the other six patients had no history of being out of the capital or contacting people from Hubei or abroad. 

In order to rein in the situation, immediate steps have been adopted as s Beijing will begin testing for COVID-19 all people who came in contact with Xinfadi market, and details of the plan will be released later, officials said on June 13. 

Beijing currently has 98 testing institutions in total, with a maximum screening capability of over 90,000 people per day, according to Gao Xiaojun, the spokesman of the Beijing Municipal Health Commission. "This will be enough to meet the needs," he said. 

The coronavirus was detected on a chopping board used by a seller of imported salmon at Xinfadi market. The seller's salmon was from the Fengtai district's Jingshen seafood market.

Xinfadi market, which caters to 90 percent of Beijing's vegetables and fruit, will be the top priority in tracing the source of the epidemic, and a working group will be dispatched to strengthen epidemic prevention and control there, China Daily reported. 

Over 10,000 workers in Beijing's Xinfadi market will undergo the nucleic acid tests, the official reckoned. 

While Beijing is now on high alert, Hubei, the epicenter of the deadly virus has decided to lower its emergency response level to the second-lowest tier since June 6 because there have been no new infections case there in last 24 days. 

Hubei has reported a total of 68,135 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 4,512 related deaths, with 63,623 patients who were recovered and been discharged from hospitals by June 11.