Beijing says it is facing its worst Covid-19 test yet after it saw the country’s first coronavirus death in six months and cases continue to rise.
The Chinese capital has reported three deaths since Saturday, bringing the country’s official death toll to 5,229.
The latest deaths have put parts of the city of more than 21 million back into lockdown.
The deaths come amid unprecedented protests over China’s zero-covid policy.
The controversial strategy – aimed at ending the outbreak – has seen millions of people locked down and citizens who have tested positive for the virus forcibly quarantined.
In Beijing, authorities have already imposed a lockdown in Hedian and Chuangyang districts, with shops, schools and restaurants closed.
Those traveling to the capital will also have to undergo tests for the first three days of their visit, and stay indoors until they have been given the all-clear.
Millions of other people across the wider country are also under a Covid lockdown, as cases continue to rise despite efforts by authorities. On Sunday, 24,730 new cases were recorded, near the peak of daily infections in the country in April.
According to JEE News, Beijing reported 316 new Covid cases as of 15:00 on Monday. An 87-year-old man is among the three deaths reported since Sunday afternoon.
Liu Zhaofeng, deputy director of Beijing’s Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, described the situation as the most complicated and serious in the city, the news agency added.
A day earlier, a municipal spokesman warned that Beijing was facing “a serious and complex epidemic prevention and control situation”.
