Beijing Launches Mass Testing Amid COVID-19 Outbreak
Summary from the AllSides News Team
Beijing is launching mass testing and other strict public health policies to avoid a new COVID-19 outbreak similar to the one that has mostly shut down the city of Shanghai.
One of the Beijing's largest districts - Chaoyang - announced on Sunday that it would begin three rounds of mass testing for local workers and residents. Beijing has also locked down entire residential complexes and apartment buildings. The actions come after 22 cases were reported by Chinese authorities in the last 24 hours, with a total of 92 cases since the new outbreak was discovered five days ago. The outbreak has sparked panic-buying of food, medicine and other basic goods in the city of 21 million people, despite government assurances that there are ample supplies.
Media on the right, left and center pointed out how policies such as Beijing's "zero-COVID" restrictions are stoking fears of more restrictive measures in the future, and continued issues with the economy and supply chains as people are kept out of work.
Featured Coverage of this Story
From the Left
Beijing enforces lockdowns, expands COVID-19 mass testing
Workers put up fencing and police restricted who could leave a locked-down area in Beijing on Tuesday as authorities in the Chinese capital stepped up efforts to prevent a major COVID-19 outbreak like the one that has all but shut down the city of Shanghai.
People lined up for throat swabs across much of Beijing as mass testing was expanded to 11 of the city’s 16 districts.
Another 22 cases were found in the last 24 hours, Beijing health officials said at a late afternoon news conference, bringing the total...
From the Left
Beijing races to contain 'urgent and grim' Covid outbreak as Shanghai lockdown continues 
Beijing is racing to track a Covid-19 outbreak that may have been spreading in the capital for a week, city authorities said over the weekend, raising the prospect more stringent restrictions could soon be implemented in line with other Chinese cities.
Chaoyang, one of the city's largest districts, announced Sunday that it would launch three rounds of mass testing of those who work and live in the district, some 3.5 million residents, according to the latest census.
The announcement came after 11 cases were detected in a 24-hour period, sparking panic...
From the Right
Beijing’s ‘Zero-COVID’ Threatens China’s Economy
As the Omicron variant is causing a surge in COVID-19 infections across 30 provinces and municipalities in China, Beijing’s “zero-COVID” restrictions appear to be causing more harm than good.
The strict measures are sapping the productivity of businesses, weakening the stock market’s performance, forcing about 400 million people to remain in lockdown, and causing the economy to contract.
Data from China’s multiple indices suggest that the Zero-COVID policy has weakened first-quarter business results and the economy overall.
For example, the Caixin manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI) dropped to 48.1 in March. A reading of...
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