This archive report was first published on 16 June 2020.
June 16, 2020 - Beijing's coronavirus situation has taken a turn for the worse, with 27 new cases reported in the past five days, according to city officials.
The new cases bring the total number of confirmed infections in Beijing to 106, prompting authorities to lock down almost 30 communities in the city and test tens of thousands of people.
Beijing city spokesman Xu Hejian warned that the epidemic situation in the capital is 'extremely severe,' as the city struggles to contain the new outbreak.
The World Health Organization had already expressed concern about the cluster, citing Beijing's size and connectivity.
Officials have expanded the city's coronavirus testing capacity to 90,000 a day, according to China's official news agency Xinhua.
Additionally, the capital's transport commission has banned taxi- and ride-hailing services from driving out of the city, and all indoor sports and entertainment venues have been ordered to shut.
Other cities across China have warned they would quarantine those arriving from the capital, as authorities scramble to track people who have traveled to other parts of the country.
Beijing officials have also disinfected 276 agricultural markets, closed 11 markets, and disinfected more than 33,000 food and beverage businesses in an effort to stamp out the new cluster.
