After Corona outbreak in Beijing: anti-Virus with a sense of proportion

The Chinese capital struggles to deal with the recent Coronavirus outbreak in a wholesale market in the South of Beijing. On the one hand, again, restrictions for public life throughout the city have been announced. On the other hand, there was for the first time, voices calling for an approach with more of a sense of proportion. "Our fight against Covid-19 should be more precise. We should not allow the new local disease protection measures to a large or even national panic," said the party newspaper "Global Times".

Friederike Böge

Political correspondent for East Asia.

This could indicate that in the party apparatus, the realization is not that the Chinese approach to the complete extermination of the Virus, instead of a flattening of the curve can be maintained and the risk of high economic damage caused. The "Global Times" wrote: "as Long as there are still many countries affected by the epidemic, it is impossible for China to wipe out the Virus completely." The newspaper argued that despite the outbreak, the special arrangement of the three for July scheduled Charter flights from Germany to maintain, in which employees of German companies and institutions, in spite of a General entry ban for foreigners to enter the country are allowed to.

the System gives incentives, virus outbreaks is Discussed conceal

it was in the Chinese Internet is also the question of whether it is appropriate that the Deputy district chief, a local party official and the Director of the concerned Xinfadi wholesale market, were immediately dismissed due to neglect of their official duties. Many Internet users argued that such punitive measures incentives to conceal the outbreak of a Virus in own area of responsibility.

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The authorities in Beijing reported on Monday, 36 new cases of disease and six Infected without symptoms. The total number of cases in connection with the wholesale market rose to 79. The Deputy Prime Minister, Sun Chunlan called the risk of a further spread of "very high". Sun had previously directed the center for disease control measures in Wuhan.

The Xinfadi market is a huge site with dozens of halls, in which around 80 percent of the agricultural products are traded, are sold in Beijing. Because of the closure came on the weekend to supply each of the bottlenecks. The area was cordoned off by the police. All of a hundred yards are stationed security forces. Also, units of the armed police, the army, are involved. The further spread of the Virus to curb the quickly, ordered the authorities of mass tests for visitors and traders of the market, as well as residents of the surrounding high-rise buildings. In total, were tested on Sunday, according to official data, more than 76 000 people. The high number has led to speculation that the operator of the Payment-Wechat Apps-Pay and Ali Pay data from the clients to the authorities who may have shopped on the Xinfadi market since the end of may. Both companies rejected this.

the origin of the infections in Europe?

The Beijing authorities spoke of a "war mode", in which the city was situated. What is meant is that, once again, ten have been mobilized thousands of Volunteers from neighborhood committees to control at the entrances of all blocks of the inlet, to measure the temperature and the visitors to dismiss. Many residents reacted with caution to the new outbreak, for example, by returning again to the home office. A taxi driver complained about a sudden slump in the business.