Beijing locks down some areas as COVID-19 cases mount

By EMILY WANG and KEN MORITSUGU
Associated Press

BEIJING (AP) — China’s capital, Beijing, has begun mass testing and shutting down residential areas amid a new outbreak of COVID-19. So far, 70 cases have been found in the city of more than 21 million 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 pandemic’s economic impact from China’s hard-line response continues to grow.