On Thursday, China had 19 new cases of COVID-19, of which 13 were in Beijing, one in neighboring Hebei Province, and five from Chinese travelers returning home. This brings to 249 the total cases since the outbreak around the wholesale market in Beijing. Three million tests were carried out, centered around the massive market area. Beijing had 100 cases break out over the June 12-15 extended weekend, but quick action allowed the authorities to declare the virus contained by June 18th. The subsequent testing seems to have confirmed this to be the case.
Rather than shut down an entire city as was done in Wuhan, the authorities have issued restrictions in those parts of the city that have been affected by the virus. They have also shut down most of the food markets in the southwestern part of Beijing. Air travel has also been restricted from Beijing to other parts of the country
prevent the spread. The schools have also been canceled.Wu Zunyou, the chief epidemiologist at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said on Thursday that the city had contained the outbreak. But he said that the government
was still actively investigating shuttered meat and seafood markets to trace the path of the virus and urged that officials and the public stay vigilant.
