Passengers wait to check their luggage at Beijing Capital International Airport during the National Day holidays in October, 2020. Photo: VCG

Beijing on Monday reported one imported COVID-19 case from Hong Kong. The patient was diagnosed after he was discharged from 14-day quarantine.

The 27-year-old patient arrived in Beijing on November 28 from Hong Kong, tested negative for the virus upon arrival, and was sent to a designated hotel for quarantine.

He showed onset of symptoms one day after being discharged from quarantine. 

After the case was reported, Pang Xinghuo, deputy director of the municipal center for disease prevention and control, said at a Tuesday conference that Beijing will continue to adhere to strict virus prevention measures on international flights, and step up the 14-day quarantine for people entering from outside Chinese mainland with an extra seven days of health monitoring.

Local residents who live near the hotel the patient had been staying in after being released from quarantine told media that the hotel has been cordoned off. 

An employee from the community told the media that the community won't be sealed off for now, and only people who stayed at that hotel will need to take nucleic acid tests.

Beijing has reported five imported cases since December, from Italy, Russia, Poland and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, respectively. 

Hong Kong is in its fourth wave of coronavirus, with 95 new infections confirmed on Sunday. The city has now recorded 7,541 confirmed infections, with 117 related deaths.

Xu Meng from China-Japan Friendship Hospital's infectious disease department said 14-day quarantine is enough in most cases, as the incubation period of the virus ranges from one to seven days. 

Certain extreme cases will exceed 14 days, said Xu. 

Global Times