Beijing to mass-test most of city as COVID-19 cases mount

By EMILY WANG and KEN MORITSUGU
Associated Press

BEIJING (AP) — Beijing authorities have announced they will conduct mass testing of most of the city’s 21 million people as a new COVID-19 outbreak sparks worries among residents of a Shanghai-style lockdown. So far, 70 cases have been found in the Chinese capital since the outbreak surfaced Friday. Some residents are working from home and stocking up on food as a safeguard against the possibility that they could be confined to their homes, as has happened in multiple cities including the financial hub of Shanghai. Shanghai reported 51 deaths in the latest 24-hour period, topping 100 deaths from the ongoing outbreak. The country’s borders remain largely closed as the economic impact from China’s hard-line response to the pandemic continues to grow.