Beijing shuts Universal Studios, bans restaurant dining in major escalation of Covid restrictions

Many local governments have ordered residents not to leave their cities unless absolutely necessary and have introduced extended quarantine requirements for people arriving from areas with Covid-19 cases. reported. China’s Ministry of Transport expects 100 million journeys to be made during the holiday – a 62 percent off from last year.

As the month-long lockdown continues in the financial center of Shanghai, the Chinese capital of Beijing struggling with a new Omicron outbreak that has put officials and residents in a difficult position.

Beijing authorities have rolled out mass checks, closed dozens of communities and suspended schools, but restrictions were tightened further at the start of the holiday.

On Saturday, Beijing officials announced that food service at restaurants would be suspended during the holiday season.

After the holiday, employees and students will be are required to present a negative Covid test – taken within the previous 48 hours – to return to work or school. And starting May 5, residents must provide a negative Covid test – taken within the previous seven days – to enter all public places, including taking public transport. . All residents are required to take a Covid test at least once a week, according to officials.

On Sunday, Universal Beijing Resort said its Universal Studios theme park and CityWalk shopping mall would close immediately after receiving “instructions” from disease control authorities. It did not say when the park would reopen.

Beijing reported 59 local infections on Sunday, the highest daily number of cases in the current outbreak. The city has reported more than 300 cases since April 20.

Meanwhile, in Shanghai, officials on Sunday said community transmission in the city was “effectively controlled”, after more than a month of strict lockdowns that have left most of the 25 million residents The people of this city must stay in their homes.

Shanghai reported 7,872 local cases on Sunday, continuing a general downtrend since April 13, officials said at a news conference. The city also reported 38 new deaths, bringing the total number of deaths from the current outbreak to 422.

Over the past two weeks, the city has stepped up efforts to bring all cases to government quarantine sites.