China faces second wave of coronavirus outbreak in Beijing

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• China’s capital city of Beijing is threatened with a second wave of coronavirus as new cases have climbed up to 106 on Tuesday.
• The outbreak was believed to have originated from the Xinfadi market, the biggest wholesale food market in Asia which is at the epicenter of the city’s capital.
• Beijing has been placed in total lockdown as authorities will launch expanded testing that would cater to all market workers, visitors and those who had come in contact with them.

After enjoying almost two months of being COVID-19 free, the second wave of coronavirus cases had surfaced in Beijing as the outbreak climbed to 106 new cases as of Tuesday. The Chinese capital with 29 communities was once again placed on lockdown.

Health experts recorded 27 new cases on Tuesday, a bit lower increase compared to previous days but still posted a growing concern for the country.

The current outbreak was once again tied to have started in a food market. The coronavirus’ newest epicenter is the vast Xinfadi wholesale market located in the country’s capital.

With the size of more than 250 football fields and catering to almost 80% of meat and vegetables to 22 million Chinese in Beijing, Xinfadi is the biggest wholesale food market in Asia.

Chinese authorities placed barricades among neighborhoods that have been infected by the disease. They will also conduct massive testing that will target all the workers and recent visitors of the market, as well as those who had come into contact with them — estimated to be around 200,000 people.

According to the country’s chief epidemiologist Wu Zunyou, the next couple of days will be pivotal in studying how the virus spreads in both Beijing and Wuhan.

“These two events indicate that it starts from a market and also related to the seafood or meat. That environment, particularly the cold, wet environment, may be able to keep the virus alive for a long time,” Wu said.

Beijing residents who live in high-risk areas have been barred from leaving their homes. Transportation services were also suspended from going outside the capital. Residents who have already left were asked to report to local health officials as soon as possible.

Public concerns are rising as Beijing’s resurgence of the coronavirus outbreak could likely be a deja vu of the lockdown that happened in Wuhan and other nearby regions in Central China last January.

Aside from Beijing, there is also another resurgence in Asia. Over the past six days, Japan’s capital city of Tokyo has recorded more than 20 new coronavirus cases.

This serves as guidance to the US and other countries that reopening poses threats of new infections.

Source: CBS News