This archive report was first published on 17 June 2020.
Beijing's residents are facing a new wave of coronavirus infections, with the city's airports cancelling nearly 70% of all flights and schools closing their doors.
As of Wednesday, the city had reported 31 new cases, with officials urging residents not to leave Beijing. The outbreak is believed to have started in the Xinfadi wholesale food market, where tens of thousands of people have been tested and quarantined.
At least 1,255 scheduled flights were cancelled on Wednesday, with nearly 70% of all trips to and from Beijing's main airports affected. The city's health commission has reported 137 infections over the last six days, with six new asymptomatic cases and three suspected cases on Wednesday.
Authorities have taken swift action to contain the outbreak, closing 11 markets and disinfecting thousands of food and beverage businesses in Beijing. The city has also banned group sports, ordered people to wear masks in crowded enclosed spaces, and suspended inter-provincial group tours.
According to the Chinese flight-tracking database VariFlight, around two-thirds of inbound flights and more than half of outbound flights at Beijing Capital International Airport were cancelled on Wednesday, while three-quarters of outbound and more than two-thirds of inbound flights at the new Daxing International Airport were cancelled.
As the situation continues to unfold, officials are urging residents to remain calm and follow health guidelines. The city's residents are bracing themselves for a potentially long and challenging period ahead.
