First patient found in Beijing cluster discharged

A COVID-19 patient — the first identified as part of a cluster of infections in June in Beijing — was discharged from the hospital on Tuesday, BTV News reported.

The patient, surnamed Tang, from Beijing's Xicheng district, said the government had acted swiftly to contain the virus.

"I have been taken good care of at the hospital," he said. "I'm feeling well."

At a news conference on Tuesday afternoon, Beijing reported no new local infections for Monday, meaning the city had zero new cases for eight consecutive days.

According to the Beijing Center for Disease Control and Prevention, from June 11 until Monday, the city had reported 335 confirmed local cases. Of those, 205 remain hospitalized and 130 have been discharged.

Li Yi, spokesman for the Beijing Municipal Education Commission, said the authorities will follow strict prevention measures during the coming entrance exams for senior high schools scheduled for July 17 to 19.

"The standard of measurement will be the same as it was for the college entrance exams, which were completed on July 10," he said.

Li said 77,583 junior high school students will take the test on July 17 in 5,056 rooms at 248 schools.