Why, if the vaccine already exists, does China insist on confinement?
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(CNN) --
Beijing conducts mass COVID-19 testing of nearly 20 million residents across much of the city as authorities try to contain a new outbreak of the omicron variant, which has sparked panic buying amid fears of a Shanghai-like lockdown.
China's capital began testing all residents of Chaoyang, a busy district that is home to the business center and foreign embassies, on Monday morning.
This is the first of three rounds of tests to detect cases of covid-19 that will be carried out over a period of five days.
Residents and office workers stood in long lines at the makeshift testing centers throughout the day.
Until 8 pm almost 3.7 million tests were carried out, of which more than half a million had a negative result, municipal authorities reported at a press conference.
More and more tests to contain outbreak in Beijing
The officials also announced that the massive tests would be extended this Tuesday to all districts of the capital, with the exception of five peripheral zones.
That measure covers about 19.5 million of the city's 21.5 million residents overall.
Several people line up to be tested for COVID-19 at a makeshift center in Beijing's Chaoyang district on Monday.
The announcement came after 29 cases were detected in the 24 hours up to 4 pm on Monday.
Although, the authorities said that all the new cases were discovered in areas that were already under epidemic control.
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"The outbreak in Beijing is coming fast and furious," Xu Hejian, spokesman for the municipal government, told the news conference.
And he added that the city's epidemic prevention and control efforts have "reached a critical moment."
Since Friday, Beijing has recorded a total of 80 cases.
Although the number of infections remains relatively low, the authorities do not want to take risks.
Especially after seeing how quickly the omicron outbreak in Shanghai saw new cases multiply by the thousands.
Residents cannot leave the city
Dozens of residential complexes in eight districts are already under strict lockdowns, in which residents are prohibited from leaving their homes or community grounds.
Authorities have urged residents not to leave the city unless absolutely necessary, even during the five upcoming holidays.
The Labor Day celebration, which starts on Saturday this year, is traditionally a season of mass travel in China.
But this year is likely to be much more subdued.
New round of mass covid-19 testing in Tianjin, China 0:37
Beijing will also suspend cultural performances, sporting events, exhibitions and other activities involving large gatherings of people, as well as all private classes and training sessions.
Fears for a situation similar to Shanghai
The announcement of the mass testing in Chaoyang late on Sunday sparked panic buying overnight.
Long lines formed at supermarkets, where customers emptied shelves of fresh produce, while online delivery apps sold out some food products.
Some supermarkets and stores extended their hours to cope with the influx of customers.
By the next morning, many had resupplied.
Beijing authorities and state media have repeatedly tried to reassure residents.
"Don't worry! Staples are available and prices are stable," announced the front page of the Beijing Evening News, a state-run tabloid, on Monday, running the headline alongside a large photo of packed supermarket shelves. of potatoes, onions and other vegetables.
But many residents remain concerned.
The widespread food shortages left by the confinement of Shanghai, extended for several weeks, has generated a stir on the internet this month.
On Tuesday, Shanghai reported 16,980 infections, including 52 Covid-19-related deaths, according to the National Health Commission.
Covid-19