Beijing begins unprecedented COVID-19 testing of millions of residents
Beijing Begins Unprecedented COVID-19 Testing of Millions of ResidentsJADE GAO/AFP via Getty Imageseijing started mass testing millions of its residents as part of an unprecedented scheme designed to identify and squash omicron’s stealthy spread before it spirals out of control in the Chinese capital.
The scale of the program is unparalleled in Beijing, even as China has kept COVID in check since early 2020 thanks in large part to massive testing efforts that repeatedly spotted tiny incursions of the pathogen in the world’s most populous country. The arrival of the more infectious omicron variant has managed to penetrate the defenses of several cities and led to lockdowns like the one in Shanghai, an outcome authorities in Beijing hope to avoid.