Life during COVID-19: a Glimpse of Beijing

The outbreak started in Wuhan around the Spring Festival early this year. After more than two months, Beijing, the capital, had finally won the battle against the Covid-19. In May, Beijing achieved zero local infections, and daily life, work and school were on a slow path back to normality.

By the end of May, the pandemic situation was getting better and better. It seemed to be stable. Beijing’s emergency response level was lowered from level 1 to level 2 and finally to level 3. Local people had more social space and more convenience for daily life.

Most of the scenic areas were open, lanes, blocks and the suburban areas could be accessed by showing your green health code. It seemed that the good time to relax had come.

But out of a clear blue sky, on Thursday, June 11, the Covid-19 virus in the capital was ready to be active again, reigniting the new infections in some parts of Beijing.

The type of coronavirus setting off Beijing’s recent outbreak in the Xinfadi market is said to be possibly more contagious than the one in Wuhan.

So the epidemic is back again, but Beijing’s response is very quick. Beijing government has a very effective and efficient way of the control of infectious diseases.

Local people currently go through nucleic acid tests, if negative, it means that they’re safe. Now with the throat swab testing, people are just calm, not overly nervous, carrying out their life as usual as possible.

Today I have used my smartphone camera taking some candid photos for your glimpse of the local people going on with their daily activities during the pandemic.