Beijing Issues Fresh Guidelines on COVID-19 Prevention

BEIJING:
Beijing on Saturday issued fresh guidelines on COVID-19 containment, calling on its residents to continue to wear masks, maintain social distancing and wash hands frequently in the wake of a fresh outbreak in the Chinese capital”s wholesale food market.

Masks have been made compulsory in hospitals, crowded scenic spots and public transports, according to Beijing”s disease control and prevention centre. The guidelines stipulate that residents with respiratory infections should avoid going to public places and if they do under unavoidable circumstances, they must wear masks, reports Xinhua news agency.

People are advised to wash their hands frequently when processing raw meat, poultry, or aquatic products, and keep unwashed hands away from the mouth, nose, and eyes, according to the guidelines. Besides, members of the public are asked to cooperate with health monitoring at residential compounds, workplaces and other public facilities.

Since June 11, the Chinese capital has seen a resurgence in locally-transmitted COVID-19 cases related to the Xinfadi market outbreak, prompting the municipal government to tighten containment measures. As of Saturday, China reported a total of 84,725 COVID-19 cases, with 4,642 deaths.