‘No one to be overlooked’: Beijing on high alert as Covid cases quadruple

China is witnessing a surge in Covid cases as the country’s capital introduced new measures to stop the transmission of the virus.

The measures include strengthening public checks and locking down residential compounds, although strict curbs have not been placed owing to a key Communist Party congress underway.

The caseload in Beijing itself has quadrupled in recent weeks as the city of 21 million people reported 18 new locally transmitted cases on Thursday pushing the overall tally for the past ten days to 197 infections- four times than 49 cases detected in the previous 10-day period.

Even though the cases are fewer compared to other countries, China’s ‘zero-Covid’ policy much touted at the once-in-five-years Communist party congress by president Xi Jinping seems to be failing.

Beijing has called for stronger screening and meticulous checks on people entering crowded places as a few residential compounds with suspected cases were put under three-day lockdowns.

“Ensure that no one is overlooked,” Beijing’s health authorities asserted as the city battles surge in infections again.

Other cities in China are also battling sporadic Covid upticks as Shanghai revealed a plan this week to build a 3,250-bed quarantine facility.