Beijing declared a “wartime emergency mode” for a district in the Chinese capital after a fresh cluster of coronavirus infections prompted the shutdown of a major wholesale market.

The Xinfadi wholesale market in Beijing’s southwestern Fengtai district has been linked to seven new cases since Thursday, after almost two months of no locally transmitted cases.

A man, who had visited the market last week and had not travelled outside the city, first tested positive for Covid-19. Another six cases were reported on Friday. Two people who tested positive in the northeastern province of Liaoning were in close contact with the two cases reported in Beijing on Friday.

People living in 11 residential compounds in the vicinity of the wholesale market are under lockdown and schools have been closed, officials said on Saturday, declaring the district to be in a “wartime emergency mode”. The capital has also suspended all inter-provincial tourism activities and sporting events, and closed down tourist spots.

Throat swabs from 45 people at the market tested positive for the coronavirus on Saturday, but none of them had shown any symptoms.

Pang Xinghuo, deputy director of Beijing’s centre for disease control and prevention, said preliminary judgment showed that these cases may have come into contact with the polluted environment in the market or became infected after coming into contact with infected people. Subsequent cases cannot be ruled out in the future, Pang said.

Xinfadi wholesale market, Beijing’s biggest agricultural wholesale retailer, supplies up to 90% of the city’s vegetables and fruits. Officials shut it down on early Saturday morning amidst fears of a second wave of the disease.

The total number of Covid-19 cases in mainland China reached 83,075, while the death toll remained unchanged at 4,634, as of Saturday. China does not count people who are infected with the virus but show no symptoms as confirmed cases.

---------------------------------
Apple Daily’s all-new English Edition is now available on the mobile app
To know more: https://bit.ly/2yMMfQE
Apple Daily mobile app latest version DOWNLOAD NOW