A Beijing resident out walking on December 5, 2022. Photo: IC

The city's epidemic prevention and control work group released the latest policies on the official WeChat account as part of a series of optimized and adjusted measures. 

According to the measures, residents can enter public facilities by scanning the health code. 

Besides, negative nucleic acid test results will not be required when entering residential compounds. 

Meanwhile, negative nucleic acid testing results are not required for entering the terminals of Beijing Capital International Airport since Tuesday as long as registering with health codes and with normal temperature, according to The Beijing News.

However, negative nucleic acid testing results within 48 hours are still needed when entering internet cafes, bars, chess rooms and other public facilities as well as catering venues and indoor gyms. 

Dine-in services are now available at some shopping malls in Beijing starting Tuesday, according to The Beijing News. Customers with negative nucleic acid test results obtained within 48 hours can enter by scanning their health code.

The Beijing Catering Trade Association released a notification through its official WeChat account addressing the resumption of dine-in services in an orderly manner. The notification reminded the public to remain on guard, and for catering service providers to continue to adhere to epidemic prevention measures.

The Beijing Municipal Forestry and Parks Bureau also released a notification on Tuesday to adjust its epidemic prevention and control policies in public places, including removing negative nucleic acid testing requirements and instead asking visitors to wear facial masks, scan health codes and take temperatures. 

Visitors have to scan venue codes to use the public toilets in parks, it said.

Negative nucleic acid testing results obtained within 48 hours are still needed for dine-in services at restaurants, entering sports and gymnasiums as well as other indoor facilities. 

Negative nucleic acid testing results within 48 hours are also required for entering nursing homes, children welfare institutions, kindergartens and primary and middle schools as well as inpatient department of hospitals. 

Chinese mainland reported 4,988 new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases, and 22,859 new local asymptomatic cases on Tuesday morning. 

Outside of Beijing, at least 48 cities across the country have allowed entrance to public venues without negative nucleic acid testing results except for nursing homes and hospitals.

In some cities such as Shenzhen in South China's Guangdong Province, nucleic acid testing results are no longer needed in most public facilities or public transportation. 

Besides, East China's Zhejiang and Jiangxi provinces have announced to cancel normalized nucleic acid testing. 

Global Times