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Thousands of runners took to the streets of the Chinese capital for the return of the Beijing Marathon following a two-year Covid-19 suspension, even as another death sparked more public outrage over China’s strict pandemic controls .
Authorities are trying to restore a sense of normalcy while sticking to a “zero outbreak” strategy of locking down communities if any virus cases are detected and isolating all arrivals from overseas in hotels for seven to 10 days.
A series of tragic events has added to public frustration that has intensified as the rest of the world opens up — in some cases, because people are not getting timely care during non-Covid-19 medical emergencies.
An investigative report released Sunday by authorities in Hohhot, the capital of China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, accused property management and community workers of not acting quickly to prevent the death of a 55-year-old woman in a sealed building when she was told she was. Suicidal tendencies.
The inquiry was sparked by public outrage over her death and her adult daughter’s frantic attempt to seek help early and then leave the blocked building immediately.
The building has been locked down after two Covid-19 cases were discovered about 10 days ago.
Earlier last week, a three-year-old boy died in a gas leak in a blocked residential complex in the northwestern Chinese city of Lanzhou.
In contrast, the atmosphere at the Beijing Marathon is optimistic.
Apart from a few invited runners, participation is limited to city dwellers.
Chinese state media said 30,000 people attended.
They must be vaccinated, not allowed to leave Beijing for seven days before the event, and show evidence of a negative virus test in the past 24 hours.
The death toll in China is relatively low – 5,226 officially – and most people can move around their cities relatively freely with little chance of contracting Covid-19.
But lockdowns in residential areas and even larger areas can happen at any time with little warning.
Last week, Shanghai Disneyland closed abruptly due to anti-virus regulations, forcing all visitors to stay at the park for testing.
There is also the inconvenience of having to take a throat swab test every few days before being allowed into office buildings, shopping malls and other public spaces.
People leaving Beijing may not be able to return for a week if there is an outbreak in the place they went to.
State health officials have repeatedly stressed the need for local authorities to take targeted pandemic measures to minimize economic disruption and avoid a one-size-fits-all approach.
“Since the outbreak, although we have made every effort to protect the lives, health and safety of the people, similar unfortunate incidents still occur from time to time.” The investigation concluded that the Inner Mongolian woman fell from her apartment and died. .
“We will learn deep lessons from this incident.”
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