Just as the world started to recover from the initial wave of the pandemic, and the lockdown measures ease, new cases emerged in China these past days. The city of Beijing reported 31 new cases on Wednesday, with a weekly total of 137. Before the spike, no new cases emerged for 57 days.
Beijing is ready to tighten the lockdown measures to keep the virus in the city. With the new rules, no citizen is allowed to leave the city. More than 27 boroughs are considered medium-risk areas, and the one closest to the market was marked as high risk.
Only people living in low-risk areas that have been tested negative for infection can leave the city. But according to BBC, the tests won't be available until July.
The authorities have suspended sports events, and the arrival of tourists, swimming pools and gyms are closed. The restaurants will no longer host weddings and large parties. All types of schools closed on Tuesday.
The railway services are reduced until July, and more than 1,200 already suspended. Roads are still open, and factories are still working. As a safety measure, Macau imposed a 14-days medical observation for all Beijing arrivals.
The outbreak probably has started in Xinfandi food markets, which is responsible for 80% of the city's meat and vegetable supply. According to health officials, the transmission was human-to-human via tainted goods.
Overall, since March until now, the country recorded only 3,200 new cases.
During the regular trading hours, HongKong45 lost 0.3%. Japan225 lost 0.6%, while USA500 gained 1.9%. USD/JPY hit a daily low of 107.17.
Sources: bbc.com, theguardian.com, fxstreet.com.