Photo: Xinhua

 

 

Beijing has ruled out the risk of COVID-19 hot spots in connection with the patient infected with the Omicron variant as test results on all related risky places came back negative, health authorities in the city's Haidian district said Sunday. 

The nucleic acid testing covers the residential community, Boyaxiyuan, where the patient lives, as well as its neighboring communities. Apart from the patient and the places that the patient lives and works, all other testing results were negative, Zhao Chengfang, a deputy director of the health commission in Haidian district, said. 

A total of 13,000 people connected with the Omicron-infected patient were tested. The results are yet to be released.

Residents living in block seven of the Boyaxiyuan community where the patient lives were required to stay indoors as the block was labeled an epidemic-controlled area.

 The SKP and Yongli International, two of the most popular shopping centers in Beijing, also said results of all their tests on people working in their venues and related environment were negative in released notices on Sunday.

The patient that was found infected with Omicron on Saturday has had no contact with any confirmed cases and hasn't left the city over the last 14 days. The infected individual lives and works in Haidian, and reportedly began to experience the onset of symptoms on Thursday before submitting to a test on Friday.

Apart from Haidian, Chaoyang and Xicheng districts were also affected as the patient's epidemiological survey showed. Due to Omicron, some schools have closed early ahead of the scheduled winter holidays.

From January 17 to 21, the last week of the winter holiday, some schools in Haidain and Xicheng are moving classes online and students are recommended to study at home. Winter holidays will officially start on January 22.