Beijing imposes soft lockdown citywide and tightens outbound travel as coronavirus infections spread

Authorities in Beijing have imposed a soft lockdown on the entire city, after the Chinese capital reported more than 100 new locally transmitted coronavirus cases in the past five days. The city raised its alert level from Level 3 to Level 2 -- the highest alert being Level 1 -- the Beijing government's Deputy Secretary Chen Bei announced in a press conference Tuesday night.

The move comes as the city's latest coronavirus outbreak continued to spread Tuesday, with at least 106 new infections since Thursday following an outbreak at Xinfadi, the city's largest wholesale food market. Officials had earlier locked down more residential compounds, ordered more than 30,000 restaurants to be disinfected and tightened outbound travel.

All residents living communities deemed medium or high risk, as well as people connected to the Xinfadi market, are banned from leaving the city. The sprawling, bustling market in Beijing's southwestern Fengtai district occupies 277 acres and has more than 2,000 stalls, selling mainly fruit and vegetables as well as meat and seafood. It supplies about 70% of the city's vegetables and 10% of its pork, according to officials.

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