Beijing extends work-from-home order as COVID-19 cases rise
A woman gets a throat swab during a public COVID testing outside a shopping mall on Sunday, May 22, 2022, in Beijing. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/Andy Wong]
BEIJING (AP) — Beijing extended orders for workers and students to stay home and ordered additional mass testing Monday as cases of COVID-19 rose in the Chinese capital.
Numerous residential compounds in the city have restricted movement in and out, although conditions remain far less severe than in Shanghai, where millions of citizens have been under varying degrees of lockdown for two months.
Beijing on Monday reported an uptick in new cases to 99, up from a previous daily average of around 50. Two more districts, Shijingshan and Haidian, began a work-from-home policy this week, bringing the total to six. In cases where people need to go to their offices, the number of workers is limited to 30% of the normal level.
Nationwide, China reported 802 new cases Monday, marking a steady decline interrupted only by small-scale localized outbreaks. Despite that, the government has hewed to strict quarantine, lockdown and testing measures under its “zero-COVID” approach, even while the outside world is opening up.
About 550 of the new cases were in Shanghai, where restrictions are only gradually being eased. The city reopened four of its 20 subway lines on Sunday, with trains operating on a reduced schedule of every 20 minutes from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
People line up for COVID testing outside a shopping mall on Sunday, May 22, 2022, in Beijing. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Andy Wong
A medical worker in protective gear collects a sample from a worker at a COVID testing site setup outside a shopping mall on Sunday, May 22, 2022, in Beijing. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Andy Wong
People browsing their smartphones as they wait in line for COVID testing outside a shopping mall on Sunday, May 22, 2022, in Beijing. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Andy Wong
A worker in protective gear carries a bag of COVID test samples at a testing site on Sunday, May 22, 2022, in Beijing. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Andy Wong
A restaurant closed to dine-in customers is open for takeout orders of ingredients for customers to self cook in Shanghai, China, Sunday, May 22, 2022. Numerous residential compounds in Beijing have restricted movement in and out, although conditions remain far less severe than in Shanghai, where millions of citizens have been under varying degrees of lockdown for two months. (AP Photo/Chen Si)
Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Chen Si
Workers labor inside a station for collecting samples for COVID tests in Shanghai, China, Sunday, May 22, 2022. Numerous residential compounds in Beijing have restricted movement in and out, although conditions remain far less severe than in Shanghai, where millions of citizens have been under varying degrees of lockdown for two months. (AP Photo/Chen Si)
Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Chen Si
A resident walks past a worker at a sample collection center for mass COVID testing in Shanghai, China, Sunday, May 22, 2022. Numerous residential compounds in Beijing have restricted movement in and out, although conditions remain far less severe than in Shanghai, where millions of citizens have been under varying degrees of lockdown for two months. (AP Photo/Chen Si)
Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Chen Si
Passengers in protective overalls wait for their train at the Hongqiao Railway Station in Shanghai, China Sunday, May 22, 2022. The locked-down Chinese metropolis of Shanghai opens some public transit services as it slowly eases pandemic restrictions that have kept most residents in their housing complexes for more than six weeks. (Chinatopix via AP)
Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS
Passengers wait for their train at the Hongqiao Railway Station in Shanghai, China Sunday, May 22, 2022. The locked-down Chinese metropolis of Shanghai opens some public transit services as it slowly eases pandemic restrictions that have kept most residents in their housing complexes for more than six weeks. (Chinatopix via AP)
Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS
Passengers wait for their train at the Hongqiao Railway Station in Shanghai, China Sunday, May 22, 2022. The locked-down Chinese metropolis of Shanghai opens some public transit services as it slowly eases pandemic restrictions that have kept most residents in their housing complexes for more than six weeks. (Chinatopix via AP)
Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS
A passenger in protective overall waits to board a train at the Hongqiao Railway Station in Shanghai, China Sunday, May 22, 2022. The locked-down Chinese metropolis of Shanghai opens some public transit services as it slowly eases pandemic restrictions that have kept most residents in their housing complexes for more than six weeks. (Chinatopix via AP)
Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS
A man tries to receive medicine he bought at a pharmacy through its closed glass doors in Shanghai, China, Sunday, May 22, 2022. Numerous residential compounds in Beijing have restricted movement in and out, although conditions remain far less severe than in Shanghai, where millions of citizens have been under varying degrees of lockdown for two months. (AP Photo/Chen Si)
Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Chen Si
A barber offering free haircuts for elderly residents serves a customer in Shanghai, China, Sunday, May 22, 2022. Numerous residential compounds in Beijing have restricted movement in and out, although conditions remain far less severe than in Shanghai, where millions of citizens have been under varying degrees of lockdown for two months. (AP Photo/Chen Si)
Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Chen Si
Delivery men sort out parcels on the street in Shanghai, China, Sunday, May 22, 2022. Numerous residential compounds in Beijing have restricted movement in and out, although conditions remain far less severe than in Shanghai, where millions of citizens have been under varying degrees of lockdown for two months. (AP Photo/Chen Si)
Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Chen Si
Residents line up for mass COVID test on Monday, May 23, 2022, in Beijing. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Ng Han Guan
Elderly residents wearing mask chat on as street on Monday, May 23, 2022, in Beijing. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Ng Han Guan
A worker collects a bag of samples for mass COVID test on Monday, May 23, 2022, in Beijing. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Ng Han Guan
A resident gets swabbed during mass COVID test on Monday, May 23, 2022, in Beijing. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Ng Han Guan
A resident gets swabbed during mass COVID test on Monday, May 23, 2022, in Beijing. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Ng Han Guan
Residents line up for mass COVID test on Monday, May 23, 2022, in Beijing. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Ng Han Guan
A supermarket employee prepares bags of groceries for delivery in Shanghai, China, Monday, May 23, 2022. Shanghai reported 480,000 people were still confined to their homes due to COVID-19 precautions, while 1.59 million were permitted to move around their neighborhoods and 21.2 million were under lighter restrictions. (AP Photo/Chen Si)
Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Chen Si
A supermarket employee hands over a bag of groceries to a deliveryman in Shanghai, China, Monday, May 23, 2022. Shanghai reported 480,000 people were still confined to their homes due to COVID-19 precautions, while 1.59 million were permitted to move around their neighborhoods and 21.2 million were under lighter restrictions. (AP Photo/Chen Si)
Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Chen Si
Workers walk out from a partial closed mall area on Monday, May 23, 2022, in Beijing. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Ng Han Guan
Delivery workers sort out bags of groceries outside a supermarket in Shanghai, China, Monday, May 23, 2022. Shanghai reported 480,000 people were still confined to their homes due to COVID-19 precautions, while 1.59 million were permitted to move around their neighborhoods and 21.2 million were under lighter restrictions. (AP Photo/Chen Si)
Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Chen Si
An employee carries bags of groceries for delivery from a supermarket in Shanghai, China, Monday, May 23, 2022. Shanghai reported 480,000 people were still confined to their homes due to COVID-19 precautions, while 1.59 million were permitted to move around their neighborhoods and 21.2 million were under lighter restrictions. (AP Photo/Chen Si)
Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Chen Si
The number of new cases in China’s largest city has fallen under 1,000 for eight days in a row, but outbreaks could still come back in some areas, said Lei Zhenglong, the deputy chief of disease control and prevention at the National Health Commission.
A reopening of transport links out of Shanghai has created an exodus of migrant workers and others who were trapped by the lockdown. Among those who remain, some have been issued exit passes to leave their residential compounds or neighborhoods for a limited time for shopping or walks, while others remain restricted to their buildings.
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