Areas in Beijing Under Lockdown after Fresh COVID-19 Cases Emerge

The Xinfadi market and 11 residential buildings in Beijing’s Fengtai district have been placed under lockdown.

Image used for representational purposes. 

(Photo: Xu Xun/China Pictorial)

Lockdown has been reinstated in parts of China’s capital Beijing after fresh cases of COVID-19 emerged from the Fengtai district in the capital. Beijing’s largest wholesale food market, the Xinfadi market, which has about 4,000 tenants was shut down and along with that, 11 residential buildings too, were placed under lockdown, reported PTI.

This decision comes after 6 new cases of COVID-19 found to be transmitted in the area was traced back to a chopping board of imported salmon at the Xinfadi market. The market was to be disinfected after some of the workers tested positive for the virus.

According to Chinese media reports quoted by AP, two of the infected people had been to the market and the third one worked with them at a meat research institute. All the workers are reportedly being tested for the coronavirus now. Meanwhile, food samples were collected from the market for testing.

Apart from the Xinfadi market, officials also closed down a seafood market that one of the infected individuals had visited earlier.

The COVID-19 outbreak that began from Wuhan in China, was brought largely under control across the country through strict lockdown and disinfecting over the last few months. Nine schools and kindergartens in the area have reportedly been closed after the cases were detected.

AFP reported that hundreds of police officers and dozens of paramilitary police were deployed at both the markets. Workers were reportedly seen hauling crates of seafood out of the Jingshen seafood market.

Beijing's market supervision authorities ordered a city-wide food safety inspection. The focus was especially on fresh and frozen meat, poultry and fish in supermarkets, warehouses and catering services, reported AFP.