Beijing marathon returns but China sticks to ‘zero-COVID’

By KEN MORITSUGU
Associated Press

BEIJING (AP) — Thousands of runners have taken to the streets of China’s capital for the return of the Beijing marathon after a two-year COVID-19 hiatus, even as another death blamed on China’s strict pandemic controls generated more public anger. Authorities are trying to restore a sense of normalcy while sticking to a “zero-COVID” strategy. An investigation released Sunday blamed property management and community staff for not acting quickly enough to prevent the death of a 55-year-old woman in a sealed building after being told she had suicidal tendencies. Marathons are also planned later this month in Shanghai and Chengdu, a major city in southwestern China.