Thread by @StephenMcDonell

#Beijing is not under any official #Covid lockdown but the vast majority of restaurants, shops etc in Chaoyang District are shut and many companies and government departments have told staff not to come in this week because of the #Coronavirus outbreak in the city. #China

I should add the closing of businesses etc mentioned above has also spread to other parts of #Beijing + most schools have switched to online classes. Some restaurants are doing delivery meals. #Covid infections keep going up. Infections found outside of quarantine doubled today.

John Lee has tested positive for #Covid just days after sitting next to #XiJinping unmasked… #China #HongKong.

https://twitter.com/xinqisu/status/1594484895224836097

Meanwhile #Beijing’s official #Covid cases continue to rise quickly. Today’s infections detected “in the wild” (outside quarantine) have doubled again. #China #COVID19

Long queues for PCR tests in #Beijing today. Many of the office buildings where people can still enter require a daily #Covid test in order to come through the front door. #China

#Beijing government just said this #Covid outbreak is the “most complicated, most serious” period for the city since the beginning of the pandemic. #China

#Beijing’s PCR test queues have been long today with many buildings requiring a daily #Covid test to enter. City officials said this is the “most complicated, most serious” outbreak here since the pandemic began. Government has urged companies to allow work from home. #China

A real opening up in #China is going to take ages (many months) because there'd first have to be: 1) a mass vaccination drive, esp with the elderly 2) the building of extra hospital wards etc to treat serious cases 3) an education/messaging campaign to address #Covid ignorance.