Case just few weeks before the Olympics!
Beijing has reported its first omicron case, according to state media, few weeks before the Winter Olympic Games are due to start.
The infected person lives in the city’s northwestern district of Haidian and had no travel history outside of Beijing for the past two weeks.
On Thursday, the individual experienced symptoms and was tested on Friday for Covid-19, officials said in a news conference Saturday during which they confirmed the Omicron first infection.
The infection came less than three weeks before the ‘Winter Olympic Games’ opening ceremony on February 4, and around two weeks before the start of Lunar New Year celebrations in China.
Till now, multiple cities in China have reported omicron infections, including Shanghai, the western city of Xi’an, cities in southern Guangdong province such as Zhuhai and Zhongshan, and the city of Tianjin, which is 30 minutes from Beijing by high-speed rail.
Officials across the country have urged residents to stay in their cities for the new year celebration, instead of traveling back to their hometowns.
China has started a strict “zero-Covid” policy, with authorities locking down residential compounds and even entire cities such as Xi’an when a local outbreak has been discovered in an effort to stamp out community transmission.
The Brief. Sign up to receive the top stories you need to know right now.