Chaoyang the Only Place in China Rated "High-Risk" for COVID-19

Original Joey Knotts theBeijinger

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Some semblance of normalcy has resumed in Beijing, but residents and the government are staying vigilant to prevent a second wave of COVID-19 infections, going so far as to ban tents in Chaoyang Park. While the link between tents and a second outbreak may sound tenuous, clamping down on gatherings in the city’s largest central public park may not be for nothing – as it turns out, Chaoyang District is currently rated the highest risk place in China for COVID-19 infection.

Chaoyang Park banned tents as of Friday

That is according to the country’s official risk tracking app, which currently classifies almost all places in the country – including all districts in Wuhan – as low risk with only a few medium risk areas in Heilongjiang and Guangdong provinces, both of which are trying to quell second waves of outbreaks due to imported cases of the virus. Only Beijing’s Chaoyang District has been classified as a high-risk area, as of Apr 19.

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This is despite the fact that Beijing has not seen any new cases for four consecutive days. However, Chaoyang gained its high-risk status last week when the district added three new cases to its count, apparently related to an earlier case. The district currently counts 75 total confirmed cases, the highest of all Beijing districts.

Chaoyang District has been defined as a "high-risk area" as of Sunday

While the classification is no cause for alarm, as the new cases only came from a small area in Jinsong, those working in or visiting Chaoyang – by far Beijing's largest downtown district – would be wise to exercise extra caution, particularly in areas that tend to attract crowds.

If you want to keep up with risk levels in your own area, you can access the official app through WeChat by going to WeChat Pay > Public Services > 抗疫查询 > 疫情风险等级查询, or you can keep up with the number of Beijing infections with the Beijinger’s regularly updated count.