Beijing district undergoing mass COVID testing

People in a district of Beijing which is home to 2 million residents were ordered to undergo mass coronavirus testing after a series of virus infections were found in the Chinese capital ahead of the start of the Winter Olympics. Similar testing has also started in multiple neighborhoods of other districts in Beijing.

The government told people in areas of the Chinese capital deemed at high risk for infection not to leave the city after 25 cases were found in the Fengtai district and 14 elsewhere. The ruling Communist Party is stepping up enforcement of its "zero tolerance" strategy aimed at isolating every infected person as Beijing prepares to open the Winter Games on February 4.

Athletes are required to be vaccinated or undergo quarantine after arriving in China. China on Monday reported just 18 new cases of local infection, including six in Beijing. The country has 2,754 current cases of infection and has reported a total of 105,660 cases of COVID-19 with 4,636 deaths.