Beijing records one asymptomatic case

Beijing reported one asymptomatic case of COVID-19 on Friday and maintained its streak of zero new confirmed cases for 12 days in a row, senior official said at a news conference on Saturday afternoon.

According to Xu Hejian, spokesman for the municipal government, from June 11 to July 17, the city reported 335 confirmed local cases, of which 145 are still hospitalized and 190 have been discharged after recovery. Altogether 18 asymptomatic cases are under medical observation.

To sustain the intervention, he said the public should keep wearing masks.

By Saturday, Beijing had only one community designated as medium-risk area in Fengtai district where Xinfadi wholesale market is located. The other communities and streets in the city are all in the low-risk areas, Gao Xiaojun, a spokesman for the Beijing Municipal Health Commission, said.

According to the city government, 47 communities in 11 districts have had confirmed COVID-19 cases since June 11. At the peak, there were five high-risk communities and 39 medium-risk communities.

At a press conference on Friday, Xu, the spokesman, said Beijing will reopen cinemas in low-risk areas while maintaining strict epidemic control and prevention measures.

According to a statement of the China Film Administration on Thursday, the sector's top regulator, movie theaters in the country will begin to reopen in low-risk areas starting Monday.

Theaters in medium-and high-risk areas will remain closed, the statement added.

All tickets must be reserved online and buyers' identities provided, and viewers are required to wear masks, as per the guideline issued with the statement.