Beijing steps up coronavirus measures as dozens of cases emerge from a food market

[snoop1130]

Beijing steps up coronavirus measures as dozens of cases emerge from a food market

By Yew Lun Tian and Ryan Woo

 

Police officers wearing face masks are seen outside an entrance of the Xinfadi wholesale market, which has been closed for business after new coronavirus infections were detected, in Beijing, China June 13, 2020. REUTERS/Martin Pollard

 

BEIJING (Reuters) - After weeks with almost no new coronavirus infections, Beijing has recorded dozens of new cases in recent days, all linked to a major wholesale food market, raising concerns about a resurgence of the disease.

 

The capital is taking steps to try to halt the outbreak including ramping up testing. On Sunday night Beijing ordered all companies to supervise 14-day home quarantine for employees who have visited the Xinfadi market or been in contact with anyone who has done so.

 

A restaurant chain selling traditional Beijing noodles shut down a few outlets after two employees tested positive.

 

There had been almost no new coronavirus cases in the city for almost two months until an infection was reported on June 12, and since then the total number has climbed to 51, including eight reported in the first seven hours of Sunday.

 

According to the city's health authority, contact tracing showed all the infected people had either worked or shopped inside Xinfadi, said to be the largest food market in Asia, or had been in contact with someone who was there.

 

"Beijing has entered an extraordinary period," city spokesman Xu Hejian told a news conference on Sunday.

 

The market was closed before dawn on Saturday and the district containing the market put itself on a "wartime" footing.

 

The Beijing outbreak has already spread to the neighbouring northeastern province of Liaoning, where the provincial health authority said the two new cases confirmed on Sunday were both people who had been in close contact with confirmed cases in Beijing.

 

At least 10 Chinese cities, including Harbin and Dalian, have urged residents not to travel to the capital or to report to authorities if they have done so recently.

 

Huaxiang, a neighbourhood in the same district as the food market and which has one of China's biggest used car centers, raised its epidemic risk level to high on Sunday, becoming the only neighbourhood in the country to be on high alert. This status means there can be no economic activity until the outbreak is controlled.

 

As of 3 p.m. on Sunday, 10 neighbourhoods in Beijing had raised their risk levels from low to medium.

 

Like other countries around the world, China is concerned to prevent a second wave from emerging after easing lockdowns that hammered its economy earlier this year.

 

NO 'SECOND WUHAN'

 

"Beijing will not turn into a second Wuhan, spreading the virus to many cities all over the country and needing a lockdown," a government epidemic expert told Health Times on Sunday, referring to the city where the epidemic in China first emerged late last year.

 

Zeng Guang, former chief epidemiologist at Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention and currently a senior expert with the National Health Commission, said the outbreak will likely be controlled after the initial spike of a few days, according to the report by Health Times, a paper run by state media People's Daily.

 

An epidemiologist with the Beijing government said on Sunday that a DNA sequencing of the virus showed the latest outbreak in the market could have come from Europe.

 

"Our preliminary assessment is the virus came from overseas. We still can't determine how it got here. It might've been on contaminated seafood or meat, or spread from the faeces of people inside the market," state media quoted Yang Peng as saying.

 

Officials said anyone who had been to or had contact with people who had been to Xinfadi since May 30 will be required to report to their work or residential units and get tested for coronavirus, the Beijing Daily said on Saturday.

 

Long queues for tests formed outside a hospital near the market on Sunday, pictures in the People's Daily showed.

 

Beijing health authority spokesman Gao Xiaojun told the news conference on Sunday that anyone in the city with a fever will be given tests for the coronavirus, a blood test and a CT scan.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-06-15

 

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[smedly]

5 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Beijing steps up coronavirus measures as dozens of cases emerge from a food market

what are they waiting for ????????

 

Thailand is offering covid luxury holidays, all bubbles and friendly - you will be allowed off the bus but must stay in your super 5 star room - we promise to take care of you and when we are done with you - you can be assured you will be covid free or at least in the same state you arrived - welcome welcome to the new healthy China tour experience - please don't order salmon to your room

[smedly]

5 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

After weeks with almost no new coronavirus infections, Beijing has recorded dozens of new cases in recent days, all linked to a major wholesale food market, raising concerns about a resurgence of the disease.

is anyone sending tissues to government house or anyone on suicide watch

 

Is there a balcony in that building - I am truly concerned 

 

I guess Thailand will have to put up with the very clean and covid free farangs from Australia and New Zealand for now...............but do they want to come to Thailand ????

[yuyiinthesky]

6 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

An epidemiologist with the Beijing government said on Sunday that a DNA sequencing of the virus showed the latest outbreak in the market could have come from Europe.

 

"Our preliminary assessment is the virus came from overseas. We still can't determine how it got here. It might've been on contaminated seafood or meat, or spread from the faeces of people inside the market," state media quoted Yang Peng as saying.

 

There you go, someone in Europe sent it back to where it came from? But how, there is no traveling. Sounds fishy.

[animalmagic]

12 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Our preliminary assessment is the virus came from overseas. We still can't determine how it got here. It might've been on contaminated seafood or meat, or spread from the faeces of people inside the market," state media quoted Yang Peng as saying.

In Wuhan they very quickly declared which market it came from (and therefore where it didn't come from) and how, sanitised the market, and then locked down the city.

In the Capital city they can't determine where it came from at all.

Quite odd really.

[Denim]

15 minutes ago, animalmagic said:

In Wuhan they very quickly declared which market it came from (and therefore where it didn't come from) and how, sanitised the market, and then locked down the city.

In the Capital city they can't determine where it came from at all.

Quite odd really.

The Xinfadi market. Mentioned in OP.

[Geoffggi]

6 hours ago, yuyiinthesky said:

 

There you go, someone in Europe sent it back to where it came from? But how, there is no traveling. Sounds fishy.

As the Elvis number goes - Return to sender..........LOL

[animalmagic]

25 minutes ago, Denim said:

The Xinfadi market. Mentioned in OP.

Thank you, I had actually read it.  My post was not referring to the geographical location specifically but the comment of not knowing where it came from in the first place.  Sorry for not making myself clearer.

It seems strange that they can quickly identify the Wuhan market, lay the blame on wildlife meat trade, and take action but follow different protocols for the Beijing Xinfadi market.  Makes you wonder why the difference in reaction and speed.  Perhaps some economy with truth in the first one?

 

[LomSak27]

13 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

"Our preliminary assessment is the virus came from overseas. We still can't determine how it got here. It might've been on contaminated seafood or meat, or spread from the faeces of people inside the market," state media quoted Yang Peng as saying.

Obviously it cannot come from China. Now the search is on.

 

However the original wuhan pandemic started in or near the Huanan Wholesale Seafood Market. Experts believe that market the source of the outbreak, with the virus jumping from wild animals on sale there. Note While they are called seafood markets, many vendors are selling game.

And this outbreak is in a Beijing seafood market. Maybe the fish but given the time to process, then store and shipping, odds are it is from other animals processed at this market. Given that China is less truthful than a current president of the USA, which is saying something, one wonders if we will get anything resembling the truth from their investigation. ???? 

[Isaan sailor]

Damned those Norwegian salmon!  Ruined CCP’s day.

[spidermike007]

The TAT must be revising their "bubble tourism" plan as we speak. Much consternation can be felt. 40% of tourism last year was Chinese. Wow. And now? Will they have to re-think this after this little second wave?

 

You know what they say about putting all of your eggs in one basket? I have been warning of the dangers of becoming too dependent on China for years. Now, after you have made your bed, you get to sleep in it. You have alienated all tourists but Indians and Chinese. And now they are two of the groups hardest hit by both the virus and the economic shutdown. Woe is us. 

[4737 Carlin]

16 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

"Beijing will not turn into a second Wuhan, spreading the virus to many cities all over the country and needing a lockdown,"

Try "spreading the virus all over the world" you d***. The rest of the world doesn't exist to these selfish a***holes.

[bluedoc]

3 hours ago, LomSak27 said:

Obviously it cannot come from China. Now the search is on.

 

However the original wuhan pandemic started in or near the Huanan Wholesale Seafood Market. Experts believe that market the source of the outbreak, with the virus jumping from wild animals on sale there. Note While they are called seafood markets, many vendors are selling game.

And this outbreak is in a Beijing seafood market. Maybe the fish but given the time to process, then store and shipping, odds are it is from other animals processed at this market. Given that China is less truthful than a current president of the USA, which is saying something, one wonders if we will get anything resembling the truth from their investigation. ???? 

Maybe it was wild salmon.????

[metisdead]

Some off topic posts have been removed. 

[pacovl46]

16 hours ago, yuyiinthesky said:

 

There you go, someone in Europe sent it back to where it came from? But how, there is no traveling. Sounds fishy.

Maybe a Chinese national working oversees who got infected in Europe and was then repatriated to China in the early stages of the outbreak? That would explain how the “European” mutation of the virus got back to China.

[overherebc]

BBC now reporting flights in and out of Beijing being cancelled.

[mommysboy]

The masks are really working then!

[Eric Loh]

24 minutes ago, mommysboy said:

The masks are really working then!

Yes it does. Comparing the number of re-infections at 20,000 and deaths 1,000 after US relaxed and less than 100 infections and no death in Beijing.