Beijing remains locked down

Beijing’s local government said a COVID-19 outbreak linked to a popular bar is proving more difficult to control than previous clusters, in a weekend that saw mass testing and rising infections both in the city and Shanghai.

Authorities delayed the reopening for most schools in the capital planned for Monday, while most districts in Shanghai suspended dine-in services at restaurants. Beijing reported 33 new local COVID-19 cases as of 3 p.m. Sunday, all of which were found in quarantine. In Shanghai, cases continued to be detected in the community.

Outbreaks have reemerged just days after the two cities eased social curbs that had been in place for months. The quick rebound in cases once restrictions were shows the difficulties of fully stamping out more contagious virus variants, and explains why only China is still engaged in the effort of eliminating transmission.

The Chaoyang district in eastern Beijing,

where the bar is located, will begin a three-day mass COVID-19 testing drive from Monday. All 65 cases discovered on Saturday were linked to the bar cluster. Authorities didn’t set a new date for schools to restart.

Shanghai lifted its two-month lockdown on June 1, but briefly shut down most of the city Saturday to undertake mass testing. Residents earlier rushed to stock up on basic supplies in fear a positive case in their compound would mean they’re sealed into their homes. Five cases were found in the community as of 5 p.m. Sunday, while some districts will be allowed to resume dine-in services on a trial basis.

Defense Minister Wei Fenghe on Sunday praised China’s virus policy, saying the country is one of the safest in the world with the lowest COVID-19 induced death rate. In a speech to Asia’s biggest security conference in Singapore, Wei called China’s COVID-19 response a miracle and said its success is a major contribution to the global fight against the pandemic.