China shuts parts of Beijing ahead of Lunar New Year as new COVID-19 cases rise

China has reported at least 16 new cases of COVID-19 as parts of capital Beijing have been placed under a strict lockdown. This is the first time since July when the Chinese authorities have imposed a lockdown in Beijing. According to the Associated Press, China has identified a cluster in the northeastern part of Beijing and has placed it under a strict lockdown to prevent the spread ahead of the upcoming holiday season of Lunar New Year. 

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Sporting events, temple fairs cancelled

Chinese authorities reported the first case in the northeastern part of Beijing on December 18 and since then a number of infections have been identified, mostly in the Shunyi district. According to reports, Chinese authorities have asked people to not leave the city and have advised against large gatherings during the holidays. Sports events and temple fairs in the city have been cancelled by the authorities. 

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In June this year, China had imposed a strict lockdown in Beijing, confining nearly half a million people to their homes. The lockdown was a result of the new cluster of cases identified in parts of the capital. In July this year, when authorities reported 11 new cases in the capital, parts of Beijing were again put under strict lockdown to prevent the infection from spreading. China claims that the country has managed to control the spread of COVID-19 disease, which is believed to have originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December 2019.

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A new study recently showed that Chinese authorities may have underreported the COVID-19 cases in Wuhan, predicting it to be 10 times higher than what was actually shared with the world. The study said that the disease might have infected more than 5,00,000 people in Wuhan alone as opposed to the confirmed cases of just 50,000. Surprisingly, China, where the COVID-19 outbreak began, has reported less than 90,000 cases so far and a death toll not more than 4,634. 

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