Beijing recommends telecommuting to millions of people to fight coronavirus

After several holidays, Beijing returned to half-gas activity this Thursday, with almost deserted streets and millions of people teleworking amid a scale of restrictions due to an outbreak of coronavirus. coronavirus in the capital China.

The Asian giant maintains its strategy “zero covid”consisting of massive tests, strong restrictions on international mobility and confinements such as the one applied for weeks in Shanghai, its main economic center, with thousands of cases daily.

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Although in the capital the number of infections is much lower, only 50 new cases on Thursday, the authorities have applied numerous restrictions to contain infections and avoid an outbreak like the one in the southern metropolis.

On Thursday, the first business day after various Labor Day holidays, the districts of Chaoyang, the most populous in Beijing with some 3.5 million residents, and Tongzhou urged their premises to telecommute.

LOOK: Beijing closes dozens of subway stations to control coronavirus

In addition, the authorities closed the entrances to dozens of subway stations, prohibited eating in restaurants and going to the gym.

Still, Feng Yinhao, who works at a massage parlor in the Chaoyang district, said life in Beijing was “still normal” compared to Shanghai, where the lockdown sparked anger from many residents and complaints of difficulties getting food. .

“The residents can accept the situation now,” said Zhan Jun, a resident of Chaoyang. But “if things are like in Shanghai … if it gets too severe, things will be different,” he said.

Loss of economic attractiveness

The Asian giant has been shaken in recent weeks by a strong outbreak of covid which has had its epicenter in Shanghaiwith more than 4,600 new infections on Thursday despite the long confinement applied in the Chinese economic capital.

Dozens of cities in China are enforcing full or partial lockdowns or measures restricting mobility. In addition, major cities such as Hangzhou or Beijing have ordered massive tests for their population.

These controls are having an impact on the economy. Income from domestic tourism during the five days of the Workers’ Day holiday fell by 40% compared to the previous year.

A study by the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China published this Thursday assured that this management of the pandemic has made the Asian giant lose “much of its attractiveness” for numerous European companies.

And according to independent data from the Caixin media group, China’s service sector activity fell in April to its second-worst level on record.

However, some measures are being relaxed. Authorities announced Wednesday that they were reducing quarantine for international passengers from 21 days to 10 days at a centralized facility and seven days at home.

Government spokesman Xu Hejian argued for the change due to the characteristics of the omicron variant, with a shorter incubation period and less severe symptoms.

Source: Elcomercio

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