Always Expect the Unexpected with COVID-19

原创 Vincent R.Vinci theBeijinger

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It’s been a little over a week since a new cluster of COVID-19 transmissions popped up in Beijing. Now we're up to 19 cases ... and there's evidence of local transmission.

The current outbreak began with a cluster in Changping District, and has since spread to Fengtai and Haidian.

What connects all these cases? The initial outbreak occurred amongst travelers, with transmission then spreading to their close contacts. So the keyword here is: travel.

In a number of our Safe & Sane group chats, we’re seeing many instances of people asking where new high- or medium-risk areas are, with the line of thinking generally being “Oh, if I just avoid medium- and high-risk areas, I’ll be okay!”

However, it's worth noting that travelers who are now in isolation being treated for COVID picked up their infections in areas that were not considered medium- or high-risk. They got infected while they were traveling to places that, at the time, did not have an outbreak at all -- they were considered the baseline "low risk".

So, our takeaway from this: Only travel if you absolutely have to. Even the local government today has started dissuading people from traveling. This means its best to stay put, even with things looking to get a lot less fun... with a 75% capacity cap on public places, and big events like the Beijing Marathon being postponed.

Not only that, but staying in Beijing reduces your chances of ending up in an outbreak and stranded outside the city, which is always a possibility considering new measures for people entering the capital.

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These measures include fresh requirements for a negative nucleic acid test taken within 48 hours plus green health code before being allowed to re-enter the city from certain risk areas, with 14 days of health monitoring required.

If only it were that simple

Whether you like Beijing's zero-tolerance strategy is irrelevant. We know from many months how the city will react to new infections, so for the sake of the community at large, consider shelving those non-essential travel plans.

And when in doubt, just follow the Scouts’ motto: Be Prepared. If you are headed out and need to get back to Beijing, no matter where you’re coming from, just fork over the necessary RMB 80-100 for a test and get it done before you come back. Worst case scenario is you waste about the cost of a couple of beers and an hour of your time.

More importantly, when you go out, always exercise caution, wear your mask, and be aware of your surroundings and those around you.

Stay safe, Beijingers!