COVID cluster forms after people dined out

Beijing reported eight new locally transmitted cases of COVID-19 from 4 pm Wednesday to 4 pm Thursday that involves people dining out at a roast duck restaurant in Dongcheng district, a senior official said at a news conference on Thursday.

According to Pang Xinghuo, deputy director of the Beijing Center for Disease Control and Prevention, five people — all of whom are now infected — dined together at a restaurant on March 10, with one of them having fever symptoms at the time.

Of the eight cases revealed on Thursday, three were staff members at the restaurant and two were diners. The other three infected diners had been reported previously.

Pang reminded the public to reduce dining out in groups during the pandemic and encouraged the use of serving spoons and chopsticks at restaurants.

The number of infections in Beijing during this round of the outbreak reached 60 as of 4 pm on Thursday, including small clusters of people in families or in office buildings or schools.

All carriers have been sent to designated hospitals for medical observation and treatment.