Beijing reinstated lockdown as US officials warn the same could happen here

Enlarge / BEIJING, CHINA - JUNE 15: A Chinese epidemic control worker performs a nucleic acid test for COVID-19 on a man who had contact with the Xinfadi Wholesale Market. Authorities are trying to contain the outbreak linked to the Xinfadi wholesale food market, Beijing's biggest supplier of produce and meat. Several neighborhoods have been locked down, and at least two other food markets were closed, as tens of thousands of people are being urged to get tested for COVID-19 at sites set up around the city. (credit: Getty | Kevin Frayer)

Authorities in Beijing have locked down parts of the city, reinstated some restrictions, and are testing tens of thousands of residents amid a burst of new SARS-CoV-2 infections.

As of Monday, authorities have reported 79 cases in four days. Almost all of the cases link to the Xinfadi food market, the city's largest wholesale meat and vegetable market. The market has a staggeringly large number of patrons, and experts fear that there are many more cases yet to be identified, each of which could spark additional outbreaks.

Before this, Beijing had gone more than 50 days without seeing any locally acquired cases of COVID-19.

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