In a promising development, the last remaining coronavirus patients have been discharged from the hospital in the Chinese capital, where “wartime-like” quarantine measures were in force just two months ago.
No hospital in Beijing is now dealing with Covid-19 cases, state news agency Xinhua reported on Wednesday. The last two patients, who were being treated at the Beijing Ditan Hospital, were sent home the day before.
One of these cases was attributed to a spike in coronavirus infections in the northeastern city of Dalian, while another caught the contagion abroad, the city health authorities said. Meanwhile, no new locally transmitted or asymptomatic cases were recorded throughout the Chinese capital, home to 21.5 million people.
Likewise, no new Covid-19 cases were transmitted locally within mainland China. A total of 15 infections originating from abroad were registered on Tuesday. So far, the country has reported almost 90,000 cases and over 4,700 deaths.
The first Covid-19 cases were discovered in Daxing, one of Beijing’s districts, earlier in January, with the virus quickly spreading through the capital. City authorities put in place a strict lockdown, at first considered draconian, that lasted until the summer, when some of the restrictions were gradually lifted.
Beijing, however, saw a spike in infections in mid-June, after new cluster of Covid-19 cases was discovered in the local Xinfadi food market. “Wartime-like” disease control measures were enforced in the surrounding Fengtai District, as authorities feared a rebound of the pandemic.
Overall, there are signs the capital has been successful in suppressing the coronavirus. The authorities recently lifted the long-standing order to wear masks in public places, with businesses, schools, and frequently visited venues allowed to operate as usual.
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