Coronavirus: Beijing seals off mall and housing compounds over virus outbreak

Six new cases found in central districts of Chaoyang and Haidian on Thursday, all close contacts of recent infections in Jilin province

Tens of thousands of residents have been locked down and are undergoing mandatory testing

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Beijing residents line up to receive booster shots against Covid-19 at a vaccination site on Wednesday. Photo: AP

Published: 5:42pm, 11 Nov 2021Updated: 8:14pm, 11 Nov 2021

Beijing authorities have sealed off a mall and locked down several residential compounds over a Covid-19 flare-up, as the latest outbreak spreads to the Chinese capital’s central districts.

China has largely curbed widespread transmission of the coronavirus through snap lockdowns, mass testing and travel restrictions, but authorities are on high alert after a nationwide spike was linked to domestic travel in the past month.

Six new cases were found in Beijing’s central districts of Chaoyang and Haidian on Thursday morning, local media reported, all close contacts of people infected recently in northeastern Jilin province.

Raffles City mall in Dongcheng – also a central district in the capital – was sealed off on Wednesday evening after a close contact of a person with Covid-19 was found to have visited the mall, Beijing Youth Daily reported.

Its exits were closed, and no staff and customers inside were allowed to leave until they were tested.

Videos shared on social media platform Weibo showed crowds of shoppers in masks, lining up to be tested inside the shopping centre.

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