BEIJING, June 9 (BNA): Thousands of coronavirus testing sites have appeared on sidewalks across Beijing and other Chinese cities in the latest development in the country’s “zero COVID” strategy.
The streaks form every day, rainy or sunny, even in places where the spread of the virus has largely stopped. Some people need to go to work. Others want to shop. All of them are effectively forced to take the test by a requirement to show a negative test result to enter office buildings, malls and other public places.
Liu Lele, who works for a live broadcasting company, has no problem taking the test regularly, but said the daytime working hours don’t always fit into his schedule.
Regular testing of residents is becoming the new normal in many parts of China. Major cities were required to set up testing stations within a 15-minute walk for all residents.
Beijing and Shanghai alone put out 10,000 or more each. The Associated Press said some are made of folding tables and chairs under a makeshift canopy.
Others are enclosed square booths from which workers in gloves reach through slots to take a quick swab of the throat from the next person in line.
Many cities, including Beijing, have required a negative test result in the past three days to enter a public place or take a bus or subway.
Some make it a week or 10 days. The tests are free, and the result is reflected on the health app on the person’s smartphone after about 12 hours.
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