In preparation for the Covid surge, Beijing reopens a makeshift hospital
Key Takeaways:
- As a result of the ongoing Covid outbreak in Beijing, social distancing rules have been tightened, and restaurant dining has been banned.
- Approximately 4,000 beds have been set aside in Beijing for Covid infections, according to Li Ang, deputy director of the Beijing Municipal Health Commission.
- To return to work or school after the holiday, workers and students must present a negative Covid test taken within the previous 48 hours.
Amid the ongoing Covid outbreak in Beijing, which has resulted in the tightening of social distancing rules and the banning of restaurant dining, Beijing reopened a makeshift hospital last used through the Sars epidemic in 2003 and set aside 4,000 hospital beds on Sunday.
On Sunday, residents of Chaoyang district, the city's most populous and worst-affected district, queued up for the city's fourth round of mass testing in less than a week.
The Universal Studios theme park was also closed, and residents were required to show proof of a negative Covid-19 PCR test to enter public venues in what appears to be pre-emptive measures as case numbers remain low.
After the city of Shanghai reported the 2nd day of zero infections outside quarantine areas, some residents were permitted to venture out.
On Saturday, the municipal health commission reported 788 affirmed locally transmitted Covid-19 cases and 7,084 local asymptomatic infection cases in the city. On Saturday, it noted 37 new deaths.
The local government has emphasized the importance of strictly following the epidemic control needs in the three categories of lockdown, control, and precaution.
According to Li Ang, deputy director of the Beijing Municipal Health Commission, about 4,000 beds have been set aside in Beijing for Covid infections. More venues are being converted into large-scale makeshift hospitals in case of need.
On Sunday, the state-run Global Times reported that "Beijing reopens Xiaotangshan makeshift hospital for Covid patients from Sunday amid latest flare-up."
With the first wave of the Covid outbreak in January 2020, work on reconstructing Beijing's Xiaotangshan Hospital began. The hospital, built in a week in 2003 to treat patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), was decommissioned in 2010.
"The makeshift hospitals are designed to treat mild cases and asymptomatic carriers, which is a good way to stop the epidemic from spreading." "It's also critical to curb overuse of medical resources and ensure that citizens receive timely medical care," Li added.
Residents should not be alarmed, according to Li, because there are currently "not many patients in Beijing, but we should plan."
On Sunday, local media reported 51 locally transmitted confirmed cases and four asymptomatic cases in Beijing.
A negative nucleic acid test was needed to enter public venues during Labor Day. Limitations and checks will proceed after the holidays.
Workers, as well as students, must introduce a negative Covid test taken within the previous 48 hours to revert to work or school after the holiday.
Additionally, beginning May 5, residents and commuters must present a negative Covid test from the previous week to enter all public venues or use public transportation.
Officials have announced that residents will be required to take a nucleic acid test at least once a week.
Similar guidelines have been announced in other Chinese cities, including Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Hangzhou, under which tourists and residents will need a negative Covid test result to connect public venues and transportation systems.