Beijing warns of ‘explosive’ COVID outbreak as Shanghai begins mass testing

While China’s infection rate is low by global standards, President Xi Jinping has doubled down on a zero-COVID policy that authorities say is needed to protect the elderly and the medical system, even as other countries try to live with the virus

Beijing :China’s capital Beijing is facing an “explosive” COVID-19 outbreak connected to a bar, a government spokesman warned on Saturday, as the commercial hub of Shanghai began mass testing to contain a jump in cases tied to a popular beauty salon.

The warning followed a renewed tightening of COVID curbs in Beijing since Thursday, with at least two districts – including its most populous, Chaoyang – closing certain entertainment venues after a flare-up in a busy neighbourhood known for its nightlife, shopping and streets of embassies.

While China’s infection rate is low by global standards, President Xi Jinping has doubled down on a zero-COVID policy that authorities say is needed to protect the elderly and the medical system, even as other countries try to live with the virus. So far the country of 1.4 billion has seen a total of just 5,226 fatalities.