China ring-fences Beijing as coronavirus outbreaks continue to swell

Chinese authorities are ring-fencing Beijing against growing Covid-19 outbreaks now permeating more than half the nation’s provinces, seeking to protect the capital as it gears up to host top political leaders next week and the Winter Olympics in less than 100 days.

The country’s state-owned rail operator said on Wednesday they suspended ticket sales for trains departing from 123 stations in 23 locations that reported coronavirus infections. Previously, Beijing’s municipal government all but barred people visiting the city from areas reporting Covid cases. 

The escalating restrictions come after the number of cases rose persistently. 

The growing concerns over a resurgence fuelled by the delta variant finds echoes even in the European Union. 

The World Health Organization warned on Thursday that the rising number of cases of Covid-19 in Europe were of “grave concern” and the region could see another half a million deaths by early next year.

“The current pace of transmission across the 53 countries of the European Region is of grave concern,” WHO Europe director Hans Kluge told a press conference, sharing the data from a “reliable projection”.

Vax or masks: US’ Jan 4 deadline

Tens of millions of Americans who work at companies with 100 or more employees will need to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 by January 4 or get tested for the virus weekly under government rules issued on Thursday. The new requirements, which were first previewed by President Joe Biden in September, will apply to about 84 million workers at medium and large businesses, although it is not clear how many of those employees are unvaccinated. 

Tougher rules will apply to another 17 million people who work in nursing homes, hospitals and other facilities that receive money from Medicare and Medicaid. Those workers will not have an option for testing — they will need to be vaccinated. Workers will be able to ask for exemptions on medical or religious grounds.