Beijing has been attacked by the paranoia of a new COVID-19 outbreak as 45 viral clusters are detected, originating from the Xinfandi Food Market.
The district in Beijing went on code red as it closed down tourist areas and sports events last Saturday when a viral cluster was detected in the food market that sent fears of a new possible outbreak of COVID-19, according to Reuters.
According to the report, 45 out of 517 people who were tested via throat swabs in the Xinfadi food market, located in the Southwest Fengtai district was found positive of COVID-19. This information was confirmed by Chu Junwei, a district official in a press release on Taipei Time.
Because of the detection of this alarming viral cluster, about 11 neighborhoods near the market were closed shut, and no one can get in or out of the districts with security to keep everyone in.
Chu added that all actions were done to prioritize safety and health, the Xinfandi market and the nearby locations are locked down with official pronouncements. He describes the applicable condition of the Xinfandi as a 'wartime emergency mode' for extra emphasis.
Fears of an impending second wave
The early days of Wuhan, due to the pandemic and the second wave of COVID-19, have unnerved the Chinese leadership. So much panic has been caused that the Wuhan market was close with new restrictions to stem any more pandemics. The virus has infected about 7.6 million and 420,000 casualties all over the globe.
Another important thing to note is how some nations have already stopped the spread of the coronavirus, proving that clusters might happen if the guard is let down. Chinese authorities have guidelines in place should viral clusters be discovered.
Officially, the Xinfandi food market in Beijing closed at 3 a.m. (1900 GMT Friday). This prompted action from local officials when two were tested as positive after visiting the market. It was not established by contact tracing how many were infected by them, as reported by CNBC.
Last Saturday, the events were accelerated as the market was closed. Police were on standby at the suspected ground zero in Beijing. All meat deliveries from beef and mutton were stopped at the food market. A chain reaction set in as other wholesale markets were shut down as well.
To make sure that the cluster is an isolated case, officials in the district are ready to do mass checking for about 10,000 people, who live near the Xinfandi market and determine if any are positive, as a precaution.
Tourist shops are closed down
Other areas that were declared closed in Beijing's tourist belt, were also shuttered on Saturday. The planned school reopening was foregone because of the recently detected viral clusters.
Another one tested positive in the agricultural market, located in northwest Haidian. This immediately prompted quick action. On Saturday, health officers went to the residence of a Reuters correspondent in Dongcheng Beijing, inquiring if she went to the Xinfandi market, explaining it as part of Dongcheng patrols.
Reports of state-controlled newspapers said that chopping boards for salmon were contaminated, so all salmon in Beijing were removed. Other cities followed suit and removed salmon, according to Channel News Asia.
Action by local authorities was swift, and locals were impressed by their decisiveness. Controlling the situation at the Xinfandi Food Market might have kept a bigger outbreak at bay.
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