Authorities in China's capital Beijing on Monday raced to contain a COVID-19 outbreak traced to a raucous 24-hour bar known for cheap liquor and big crowds, with millions facing mandatory testing and thousands under targeted lockdowns.
The outbreak of nearly 200 cases linked to the city centre Heaven Supermarket Bar, which had just reopened as curbs in Beijing eased last week, highlights how hard it will be for China to make a success of its "zero COVID" policy as much of the rest of the world opts to learn how to live with the virus.
"We have to test every day now. It's a bit of a hassle, but it's necessary," said a 21-year-old resident surnamed Cao, who runs a convenience store in Beijing's largest district Chaoyang, where the bar cluster was discovered. "The virus situation has hurt our business a bit, it's down about 20-30%." The bar, where patrons check aisles to grab anything from local heavy spirits to Belgian beer, is known among Beijing revellers for its tables plastered with empty bottles, and customers falling asleep on sofas after midnight.
The bar cluster was caused by loopholes and complacency in epidemic prevention, state-backed Beijing Evening News wrote in a commentary piece on Monday. A handful of customers and staff at the parlor would be locked in temporarily for checks, authorities said.
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