Chinese capital doubles down on testing to keep Covid at bay beyond the Labour Day holiday
- Test results will determine whether people can go back to school or work in Beijing
- Authorities offer no end date for the requirement, which also covers use of public transport
From Thursday, the end of the five-day break, residents in the Chinese capital will have to provide proof of a negative PCR test result taken within the previous seven days to use public transport and enter office buildings, entertainment venues and sporting facilities.
It would also be needed to go to gyms, shopping malls, supermarkets, hotels, restaurants, libraries, museums and tourist attractions, municipal authorities said on Saturday.
Requirements for visiting hospitals and taking part in bigger gatherings such as meetings will be even tighter, with the testing window narrowed to 48 hours.
A similar requirement will be in place to enter schools and offices after the holiday. But tests cannot be used to bar people needing urgent or critical care from entering hospitals.
The municipal government did not say when the policy would lapse.