Also Read: COVID-19 lockdown, mass testing in China despite minor cases - here’s why On October 20, the 21 million-people city reported 18 additional locally-transmitted cases for the day before, bringing the total for the preceding 10 days to 197.
The 49 infections found in the prior 10-day period were outnumbered by that number by a factor of four. Despite the relatively-low number of cases compared to other nations, China's zero-COVID policy has forced the nation's capital to step up preventive measures, especially as the Communist Party holds its once every five years congress this week, where President Xi Jinping is anticipated to win an unprecedented third term as its leader. Also Read: Covid Zero strategy: China shuts down city of 61 lakh This week, Shanghai, one of many Chinese cities dealing with intermittent COVID outbreaks, announced plans to construct a 3,250-bed quarantine facility on a small island near the city's centre.
After identifying hundreds of thousands of cases, the 25 million-person city faced a protracted lockdown in April and May. There are similar quarantine facilities with thousands of beds in other large cities, including Beijing and Guangzhou.