Rising COVID cases in Beijing lead officials to extend work-from-home order

Beijing extended work-from-home orders on Monday as coronavirus cases continue to rise in the city.

The city reported 99 new COVID infections, up from a previous daily average of around 40. The number of workers allowed to go to their offices has been limited to 30% of the normal level.

Two more districts began a work-from-home policy this week. 

While outbreaks in the nation’s capital remain less severe than in Shanghai, communities have been confined in an effort to curtail transmission. 

Beijing ordered additional mass testing on Monday. 

CASES FOUND IN SHANGHAI AFTER 5 DAYS OF ‘ZERO COVID’

Authorities also previously suspended transportation, though thus far they’ve resisted sweeping lockdowns. Still, people have been warned to avoid traveling between city districts.

They have also banned indoor dining and shuttered schools and tourist sites.

Across the country, China reported more than 800 new cases, marking a steady decline from earlier this year. 

COVID LOCKDOWN IN CHINA METROPOLIS LOOSENING

The government’s strict “zero-COVID” strategy has come under fire internationally, especially after Shanghai residents reported food and medicine shortages during stringent weeks-long quarantines. 

The number of new cases in China’s largest city has fallen under 1,000 for eight days in a row. 

The city reopened four of its 20 subway lines on Sunday. 

However, the deputy chief of disease control and prevention at the National Health Commission, Lei Zhenglong, warned outbreaks could crop up again in some areas.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.