Beijing to launch regular mass nucleic acid testing

Starting on May 5, when the May Day holiday ends, Beijing will start regular mass nucleic acid testing and residents in the city should take the test at a weekly basis, a senior official said on Saturday.

People returning to the capital should hold the negative results of nucleic acid tests taken within 48 hours before entering and have the green code of Beijing Jiankangbao - a mobile-based app used to check health condition. They should take another test within 72 hours after arrival, said Li Ang, deputy director of the Beijing Municipal Health Commission, at a news conference.

From May 3, the nucleic acid tests will be offered for free to citizens in the capital. The cost will be covered by government finance and medical insurance, he said.

Meanwhile, to provide efficiency and convenience for the public to take the tests, the authority will further improve the location layout of the testing spots all over the city.

From May 5, the residents should have negative results of nucleic acid tests taken within seven days to take the public transportation such as buses and subways, as well as enter the public areas.

Chaoyang district, which has registered the most COVID-19 infections during this round of the outbreak in Beijing, will conduct another two rounds of the mass nucleic acid testing for people who work and live in the district on May 1 and 3, respectively.

Chaoyang has already completed three rounds of the mass testings this week to discover the potential risks and cut transmission.

The epidemic control measures have also tightened during the May Day holiday.

To curb the COVID-19 outbreak in Beijing, from May 1 to 4, all the restaurants in the city should suspend dine-in service and adopt take-out delivery for customers, the commerce bureau announced on Saturday.

Previously, the city government had announced that residents must have negative nucleic acid test results taken within 48 hours when they enter public places, including scenic areas, hotels and homestays during the May Day holiday, which began on Saturday.

After the holiday, students and workers should have negative nucleic acid test results taken within 48 hours before returning to school or work.