China: Investigation begins into bar allegedly responsible for new outbreak of coronavirus

Beijing authorities have launched an investigation into one barwhich operates as a self-service on a 24-hour basis and which they consider to be the outbreak of hundreds of coronavirus cases in the Chinese capital in recent days, local media reported today.

A joint team from a range of local government agencies will work to investigate and manage the case with the Heaven Supermarket «quickly, with rigor and seriousness “wrote the state-backed Beijing Daily.

All bars, nightclubs, karaoke venues, internet cafes and other entertainment venues are being examined, the newspaper wrote.

All underground entertainment venues were closed as well the process of halting the epidemic is “tightened” in the city, according to the same source.

Authorities are under pressure as the bar-related outbreak has forced millions of people to undergo mandatory diagnostic tests and thousands more to enter targeted lockdowns just days after leaving the city of a part-time locksmith that lasted more than a month.

The announcement of the investigation comes a day after state media reported that the vice president of the Chinese government Sun Chunlan visited the bar and announced that it is necessary to strengthen COVID prevention measures and to control important areas.

Citizens infected in the latest outbreak of the pandemic live or work in 14 of the capital’s 16 districts, authorities said.

Bars and restaurants across much of Beijing resumed accepting customers on June 6 after more than a month in which the 22-million-strong city imposed restrictions, including telework, and closed malls and department stores. of the public transport system.

The city’s largest district, Chaoyang, where the bar is located, began mass testing for three days among the approximately 3.5 million inhabitants yesterday Monday.

About 10,000 close contacts of his clients have been identified and the buildings where he lives have been locked down.