The city of Beijing dismisses a health official, against the backdrop of Covid

The city of Beijing has sacked a senior health official as the shadow of confinement hangs over the Chinese capital, official media reported on Wednesday May 25.

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China has been facing a resurgence of the Covid-19 epidemic for several months, which is affecting several parts of the country to varying degrees.

In Beijing, more than 1,600 positive cases have been identified since the end of April, which has led to numerous restrictions for its 22 million inhabitants.

Many are forced to work from home, while some public transport is suspended and non-essential businesses are closed in many neighborhoods.

Residents who live in residences where positive cases have been recorded are confined.

In this context, the city of Beijing has separated from its head of health, Yu Luming, according to the official news agency China news.

Yu Luming is being investigated on suspicion of "

", Xinhua said.

This wording usually refers to accusations of corruption.

In addition, the vice-mayor of Beijing, Wang Hong, presented his resignation, affirms Wednesday the daily of the municipality, which does not specify the reason.

Political figures are regularly sacked for failing to stem epidemic outbreaks.

Read alsoCovid in China: “Containment without return”

In Shanghai, the most populous city in China with 25 million inhabitants, the sometimes chaotic management of confinement thus raises questions about the future of the municipal leader of the Communist Party, Li Qiang.

China is the last major economy to remain isolated from the rest of the world with anti-Covid restrictions.

The country has been living almost normally since 2020 thanks to its zero Covid strategy, which consists in particular of massive screenings, quarantines imposed on infected people and confinements as soon as a few cases appear.