Coronavirus: Beijing opens up after containing cases as Xinjiang tries to shut down new outbreak

More than 100 patients are still in hospital in China’s capital, infected during a second wave of cases starting on June 11

Three government teams and 200 medical workers from other provinces have been sent to Xinjiang to help with testing and virus control

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People wearing face masks watch a bride and groom pose for a pre-wedding photo shoot in Beijing on Sunday. The city’s officials will slowly unwind some Covid-19 restrictions after an outbreak was brought under control. Photo: AP

Published: 6:16pm, 20 Jul 2020Updated: 11:08pm, 20 Jul 2020

Beijing has announced it will lower its emergency response to Covid-19 from Monday after containing an outbreak of coronavirus that hit the city last month.

The Chinese capital, where only one asymptomatic case has been reported during the past two weeks, now allows gatherings of around 500 people and is cautiously opening public facilities, including parks, gyms, libraries and museums, according to the municipal government.

More than 100 patients are still in hospital after a second wave of infections starting on June 11 made over 300 people ill in the capital city, the latest government data showed.

The public facilities set to reopen have been ordered to limit the number of visitors to half their largest capacity, while expositions, sports events and cinemas will gradually resume with similar visitor limitation measures after assessment, the government said in a statement on Monday.

Zhou Weimin, an official from the city’s tourism bureau, said the capital was already seeing signs of revival in its tourism industry after the decision to ease control measures was announced on Sunday.

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