Coronavirus: Beijing arrival found positive after 21 days in quarantine and on third test
- In addition to asymptomatic case, Beijing authorities uncover nine imported cases in people who travelled from Hong Kong and arrived in the capital February 16-19
- While the zero-Covid approach may work for mainland disease management, the situation in Hong Kong is different, says respiratory disease expert
The person, who entered Beijing after completing 21 days of quarantine, tested positive for the virus on the third nucleic acid test during the seven-day stay-home health monitoring period, according to a statement by Beijing’s health authorities.
The individual was diagnosed with an asymptomatic infection on Sunday afternoon and taken to a hospital. The statement did not say where the person had come from.
Health authorities promptly carried out tests in Fengtai district in southwestern Beijing where the asymptomatic patient was staying. More than 2,000 people were tested, all of whom had negative results, according to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention in Fengtai.
The most recent local outbreak in Beijing was in late January, soon before the Winter Olympics started. Twenty daily cases were confirmed on January 30 at the height of the outbreak, according to the National Health Commission. Of those 20, some 13 came from Fengtai district.
Also on Monday, Beijing authorities said mass Covid-19 testing had uncovered nine imported cases in people who had travelled from Hong Kong and had arrived in the capital between February 16 and 19.