Beijing investigation finds imported case caused Shunyi cluster

Beijing has released a thorough epidemiological investigation into the recent 16 cases of COVID- 19 reported in the capital’s Shunyi district, which showed that the sudden spike was caused by an imported case from Indonesia, Pang Xinghuo, deputy director of the municipal center for disease prevention and control, said at a press briefing on Wednesday.

Shunyi district, close to Beijing Capital International Airport, has reported 16 COVID- 19 patients, including 14 local confirmed cases, one asymptomatic case, and one imported case since the first infection was identified on December 23.

By analyzing the genetic sequence of the virus, the results show that it belongs to the L- genotype of the European branch, which shares high similarity with the virus strains found in Southeast Asia in November, suggesting the latest Beijing outbreak is imported from abroad.

The initial COVID- 19 case, which led to the cluster of infections in the region, was imported from Indonesia – a 28- year- old man who entered East China’s Fujian Province in late November and later traveled to Beijing’s Shunyi district, Pang said.

This imported case infected his roommate and then caused infections of a supermarket employee and a cluster of infections of online car- hailing drivers and friends and workers in the Jinma industrial area via group activities.

The thorough epidemiological survey impressed netizens, with many saying that the tracking process is like a “detective novel.”

A netizen named Doueryu wrote, “Beijing’s ability to investigate the transmission process of 16 cases in such a short time and in such a clear way not only impresses the public but also offers confidence to Chinese people in the country’s capability in controlling the epidemic.”

Some suggested that the survey showed the necessity to prolong the quarantine period for people entering China or the need for follow- up nucleic acid tests after the 14- day quarantine.