Beijing businesses ramp up anti- virus efforts
▶ Despite certain adjustments, no widespread closures reported
From theaters to restaurants to tourism sites, many consumer businesses in Beijing are adjusting their operations, with some halting businesses and others controlling visitor flows to stamp out risks, as the Chinese capital sees rising numbers of confirmed COVID- 19 cases in recent days.
However, there have been no widespread business closures, as officials strive to minimize economic disruptions, and consumption will likely bounce back once the latest outbreak is brought under effective control, experts said on Tuesday.
Local officials announced on Monday that the city would halt theatrical performances, sports matches, exhibitions, on- site education training courses and scattered construction projects. Beijing’s tourism department also requested a halt of group travel in the city.
Following government policies, business entities started to take action immediately. Liu Wenjun, an employee from Prince Gong’s Palace Museum, a famous tourist site in Beijing, told the Global Times that the museum won’t take tour groups as requested by officials, but will still accept individual tourists.
Liu said that the museum has been actively implementing the Beijing municipal government’s COVID- 19 prevention policies, including health code checks and disinfection. It has also limited tourist flows to about 75 percent of its maximum capacity.
Meanwhile, some tourist sites halted businesses to prevent the spread of the COVID- 19. Beijing’s Yong He Gong Lama Temple, for example, issued a notice on Tuesday saying that it will stop accepting tourists as of Wednesday to “ensure the safety of tourists, believers and its employees.”
Apart from tourist sites, many theaters in the city also moved to halt business operations temporarily. The Beijing People’s Art Theatre, for instance, announced plans to cancel all performances between Tuesday and April 30.
Beijing had seen a rise of confirmed COVID- 19 cases. On Monday, the city reported 32 new confirmed cases and one asymptomatic patient.
Industry insiders said that their concern is more about the impact of the situation on consumers’ sentiment than about the direct loss of income around the May Day holidays.
Zhao Ping, vice president of the Academy of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, told the Global Times that the major problem faced by China’s consumption sector is weakening anticipation and shrinking demand.
Zhao stressed that more policy support must be rolled out to stabilize the job market and ensure income growth, so as to make people more confident about spending money.