Beijing bans barricading gates for Covid control

BEIJING: The Chinese capital Beijing on Sunday promised to improve anti-virus measures and ban the practice of barring building gates in closed-off residential compounds.
Facing a continuous rise of new COVID-19 cases, the city must optimize epidemic control according to new conditions, Liu Xiaofeng, deputy head of the Beijing municipal disease prevention and control center, told a press conference. In particular, barricading building gates and residential-complex entries in high-risk areas is strictly prohibited. Passages must remain clear for medical transportation, emergency escapes and rescues, said Wang Daguang, a municipal official in charge of community-level epidemic control and prevention. Residential complexes shall be timely lifted out of closed-off management if they fit the requirements, he said. –Agencies