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Initial reports of the first cluster of locally acquired COVID-19 in Beijing in nearly two months began to emerge on Saturday (see Sunday's China: Beijing's New COVID-19 Cluster), and increased to 79 cases - most with links to the city's largest fresh market - yesterday.
For Chinese officials, it would be bad to see a resurgence of the virus anywhere in the country - but for it to occur in the nation's capital - would be particularly traumatic.Fortunately this latest outbreak began more than two weeks after the delayed and truncated National People's Congress (NPC) - which saw more than 3,000 delegates from around the country meet in Beijing - disbanded.
The most recent report from China's National Health Commission summarizes all new COVID-19 cases reported in the past 24 hours (n=40), and adds 27 to Beijing's previous total raising this outbreak to 106 cases (plus a handful of asymptomatic cases).
The latest situation of the new coronavirus pneumonia epidemic situation as of 24:00 on June 15
Release time: 2020-06-16 Source: Health Emergency Office
From 0 to 24:00 on June 15th, 31 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) and Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps reported 40 newly diagnosed cases, including 8 imported cases (3 in Shanghai, 3 in Guangdong, 1 in Inner Mongolia, Liaoning) 1 case), 32 local cases (27 in Beijing, 4 in Hebei and 1 in Sichuan); no new deaths; 3 new suspected cases, including 1 imported case (in Shanghai) and 2 local cases (All in Beijing).
On the same day, 7 new cases of discharge were cured, 225 close contacts were released from medical observation, and 3 more severe cases.
There are 93 confirmed cases imported overseas (no serious cases), and 2 suspected cases. A total of 1845 cases were diagnosed, and a total of 1752 cases were discharged and no deaths were found.
As of 24:00 on June 15, according to the reports of 31 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, there are currently 210 confirmed cases (including 5 severe cases), 78377 cases were discharged, and 4634 cases were dead. A total of 83,221 confirmed cases were reported, and there are currently 4 suspected cases. A total of 753836 close contacts were tracked, and 4340 close contacts were still under medical observation.
31 provinces (autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the Central Government) and Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps reported the addition of 6 cases of asymptomatic infections (2 cases imported overseas); no conversion to confirmed cases on that day; 8 cases of medical observations released on the same day (1 case imported overseas); In medical observation 110 cases of asymptomatic infection (63 cases imported overseas).
A total of 1602 confirmed cases were reported from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan. Among them, there were 1112 cases in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (1067 cases discharged and 4 deaths), 45 cases in the Macau Special Administrative Region (45 cases discharged), and 445 cases in Taiwan (433 cases discharged and 7 deaths).
According to Chinese language media reports this morning, another fresh market has been hit by the virus, and has been shuttered. This (translated) alert from the Fujian Radio & Television Network, while somewhat cryptic, provides additional details.
The official Weibo of the News Office of the People's Government of Xicheng District in Beijing released news on the 16th that on June 14th, a person from the market of Tiantao Honglian Vegetable Market in Guangwai was diagnosed as a case of new coronary pneumonia, and its activity track involved Tiantao Red Lotus Vegetable Market and surrounding.
After sampling and testing the relevant environment of the market, the nucleic acid test results of individual sites were positive. Decided to live in 7 communities of Lecheng, Duck Bridge, Station West Street, Station West Street No. 15 of Guangwai Street, Qingnian Lake, Handkerchief South Street, Beijing Railway and Garden from 2:00 am on June 16 The community implements closed management measures .
Meanwhile, Reuters is reporting:
Beijing and provinces impose travel curbs as coronavirus cases mount
It is worth noting that 4 new locally acquired cases are reported in Hebei province - which encircles most of Beijing (see map below) - in the past 24 hours. Whether these cases are linked to the Beijing outbreak isn't immediately known.
While 106 cases in a city of 22 million may seem modest, the actual number of infected is almost certainly much higher - and if left unchecked - is likely to double every 5 or 6 days.
China has demonstrated both the willingness and ability to lock down major cities (like Wuhan) to crush viral transmission, but the costs and optics of imposing those types of draconian measures in Beijing - after basically declaring victory over the pandemic months ago - would be horrendous.Hopefully it won't come to that, and Beijing's outbreak can be quickly curbed using less drastic measures. But the challenges of doing so are not insignificant.
Stay tuned.
