Chinese cities like Beijing, pictured here on July 6, 2022, require a negative virus test within the last 72 hours to enter most public spaces.
Kevin Frayer | Getty Images News | beautiful pictures
BEIJING – China’s capital is set to require Covid vaccines when entering gyms and several other locations, the first such mission in the country.
The vaccine request was made after resurgence in new cases in Beijing, Shanghai and other parts of China last week.
The city of Beijing announced on Wednesday that starting Monday, most people need to be vaccinated before entering live training centers, sports centers, entertainment venues and venues. other society.
The city said the requirement did not apply to people who were immunized not “appropriately,” but said those vaccinated would be given priority access to the locations above. Many spaces operate at lower capacity due to Covid restrictions.
Generally, only Chinese-made vaccines by Sinopharm or Sinovac are made available to the public in China.
Beijing has a fairly high vaccination rate. On Wednesday, the city said it had vaccinated 23.4 million people, including 3.6 million people over the age of 60. The capital city says it has nearly 22 million long-term residents as of 2020.
Government events in Beijing have required attendees to be vaccinated against Covid, while some industries such as taxi services have also encouraged or mandated vaccinations.
About two months ago, Beijing started requiring people to get tested for the virus before visiting public spaces.
Similar rules have gone into effect in Shanghai and other parts of China, while at least one or two cities have tried to stop routine virus testing after the number of local cases dropped. . Analysts have noted the high cost of Covid tests and other measures to local governments.
Mainland China reported 94 new Covid cases with symptoms for Wednesday, including 32 in Shanghai and 4 in Beijing.
Other cities have also tightened Covid controls in the past few days.
The central Chinese city of Xi’an on Tuesday announced a week-long closure of entertainment and leisure venues and a ban on in-person dining at restaurants.
The city of Shanghai announced two mass virus tests from Tuesday to Thursday, and temporarily closed karaoke venues as of Wednesday.
