Beijing Orders New Mass Testing and Lockdowns as COVID-19 Resurges

Health workers wearing protective gear in Beijing on March 21, 2022. Kevin Frayer/Getty Images

Shortly after Shanghai and Beijing lifted their lockdowns and tried to get back to normal, COVID-19 resurged in mainland China spreading to more than 10 provinces. The Chinese communist regime has ordered new rounds of mass testing and lockdowns.

Most of the affected areas are near Shanghai in the Yangtze Delta, China’s economic hub and industrial center. These regions account for 14.9 percent of China’s GDP.

Authorities in Shanghai announced that from July 5 to 7 mass testing will be done in 12 districts and areas, and all residents must undergo two COVID-19 nucleic acid tests in three days.

In Wuxi, a major city in nearby Jiangsu Province, the number of cases has continued to increase. On July 1, Wuxi City officials issued a notice to all residents saying, “not to leave the city unless necessary, stay at home, and reduce unnecessary social activities.” Wuxi bus services were suspended on July 2.

On July 4, a Twitter user, whose account name is Happy Bird, revealed in a post that a patient in the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department of Wuxi People’s Hospital tested positive for COVID-19. The entire department, including medical staff, pregnant women, and newborns, were sent to an isolation facility. A family member of a pregnant woman who was sent to the Wuxi Branch of Meicun Ruijin Hospital told The Epoch Times on July 5 that she heard that the confirmed case was a woman on the sixth floor of the hospital who had just given birth. All the patients and their families were notified about the upcoming transfer on the night of July 2, and the patients were sent to Ruijin Hospital for quarantine on July 3.

Nearby Anhui province has most of the new COVID-19 cases. From June 6 to July 6, it reported 1427 cases. However, since the beginning of the pandemic, the Chinese communist regime is suspected of underreporting the actual number of cases.

Meanwhile, COVID-19 cases are also rising in China’s northwestern city Xi'an. Local authorities announced a 7-day partial lockdown starting on July 6. Public entertainment and leisure venues such as karaoke bars, internet cafes, and bars, are suspended for one week; and dining-in services in all restaurants and snack bars are also suspended for a week. Gatherings are strictly controlled, and no large meetings are allowed for a week; elementary and middle schools, and kindergartens are closing early for summer break, while colleges and universities are under lockdown.

Mr. Ma, a resident of Xi'an, told The Epoch Times: “There is no need to do this now. These are serious violations of the law and human rights.”

“Pandemic prevention and control is a very professional and technical task. However, what should be done is not decided by the professionals, experts, or expert groups, but by administrative officials. It’s not normal,” he said.

Beijing authorities announced on July 6 that starting from July 11, proof of vaccination must be shown for people to enter training institutions, libraries, museums, stadiums, fitness venues, entertainment venues, internet cafes, and other public places.

Gao Miao, Gu Xiaohua, Xia Song, and Luo Ya contributed to the report.