Beijing's Chaoyang district has been listed as the high-risk area by 6 pm Sunday, which aroused attention from the public, and the capital's senior official explained the reason at the daily epidemic control press conference on Monday afternoon.
According to the national standard, areas with over 50 cumulative confirmed cases and a concentrated outbreak in the past 14 days are categorized as high-risk regions, said Pang Xinghuo, deputy director of Beijing's Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
On April 14, Beijing reported an imported case that resulted in three more confirmed cases among family members. It is categorized as a concentrated case, which was the reason Chaoyang was listed as a high-risk area.
The imported case was an inbound Chinese male student headed home from Miami, Florida.
The three related cases are the student's mother, brother and grandfather. They were confirmed with COVID-19 when tested after the student was confirmed with the illness on April 14.
After the student's illness was confirmed, five family members were given nucleic acid tests. Three members tested positive and were taken to a hospital on Wednesday.
Up to 62 of his close contacts were put undermedical isolation and observation.
The student had completed his 14-day quarantine and tested negative multiple times. However, he developed symptoms of fever and cough two days after going home to live with his family. He was sent to the hospital, where COVID-19 was confirmed.
According to the standard, cities, counties and districts with no active cases or with no new infections in the past 14 days are categorized as low-risk regions; those with new infections in the past 14 days and fewer than 50 cumulative confirmed cases, or with over 50 cumulative confirmed cases but without a concentrated outbreak in the past 14 days are categorized as medium-risk regions.