Beverage Bar Cluster: Thousands Of Beijing Residents Under Lockdown, Millions More Under Mandatory COVID-19 Tests

Gerai tes COVID-19 from China. (Wikimedia Commons / N509FZ)

JAKARTA - Authorities in China's Beijing are racing to contain the COVID-19 outbreak, which has been linked to 24-hour bars notorious for cheap liquor and crowds, leaving thousands of people under lockdown and millions more undergoing mandatory testing.

The outbreak of nearly 200 cases linked to the Heaven Supermarket Bar in the city center, which just reopened when restrictions in Beijing eased last week, highlights how difficult it is for China to make its 'zero COVID' policy work, as the rest of the world chooses to learn how to live with the virus.

The re-emergence of COVID infections has also raised fresh concerns about the outlook for the world's second-largest economy. China has just dealt a heavy blow from a two-month lockdown of Shanghai, its most populous city and commercial nerve center, which has also rattled global supply chains.

Dining services at Beijing restaurants resumed on June 6, after more than a month the city of 22 million people imposed various COVID restrictions. Malls, gyms, and other venues were closed, parts of the city's public transport system suspended with millions urged to work from home.

"We have to test every day now. It's a bit of a hassle, but it's necessary", said a 21-year-old resident surnamed Cao, who runs a convenience store in Chaoyang District, Beijing's largest, where the bar cluster was found.

"The virus situation has hurt our business a bit, it's down about 20-30 percent", he said.

Chaoyang began a three-day mass testing campaign among its roughly 3.5 million residents on Monday. About 10,000 close contacts of the bar's patrons have been identified, and the building where they live is locked. Not only that, the planned reopening of several schools in the district has been postponed.

Queues weaved around several test sites on Monday for more than 100 meters, according to Reuters witnesses. Huge metal barriers have been installed around some housing complexes, with people in hazmat suits spraying disinfectant nearby.

It is known that Heaven Supermarket Bar was immediately filled with visitors who were thirsty for socializing while enjoying a variety of local beers to Belgian beers, with the concept of a liquor supermarket, when dining restrictions were lifted last week.

The conditions left Heaven Supermarket Bar and other businesses nearby, including Paradise Massage & Spa, locked down, with police tape and security staff blocking entrances.

Several customers and staff in guest rooms will be temporarily locked for inspection, authorities said. Originally, had there been no case of this surprising bar cluster, there were high hopes for a rebound in June.