Kevin Frayer | News Getty Images | Getty Images BEIJING — China’s capital is set to require Covid vaccines for entry into gyms and some other venues, the first mandate on such a scale in the country. The demand for a vaccine comes after a resurgence of new cases in Beijing, Shanghai and other parts of China in the past week. The city of Beijing announced on Wednesday that starting Monday, most people must be vaccinated before entering in-person training centers, sports centers, entertainment venues and other social gathering places. The city said the requirement does not apply to people for whom vaccinations were not “appropriate,” but said vaccinated people will be given priority entry to the above areas. Many venues are operating at reduced capacity due to Covid restrictions. Generally only Chinese-made vaccines from Sinopharm or Sinovac are available to the public in China. Beijing has a relatively high vaccination rate. The city announced Wednesday that it had vaccinated 23.4 million people, including 3.6 million over the age of 60. The capital city said it had nearly 22 million long-term residents by 2020. Government events in Beijing have already required participants to be vaccinated against Covid, while some industries such as taxi services have also encouraged or mandated vaccinations. About two months ago, Beijing began requiring people to take a virus test before visiting public places. Similar rules have been put in place in Shanghai and other parts of China, and at least one or two cities have tried to stop routine virus testing after the number of local cases declined. Analysts have noted the high cost of Covid tests and other measures for local governments. Mainland China reported 94 new symptomatic Covid cases on Wednesday, including 32 in Shanghai and 4 in Beijing.
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Other cities have also tightened Covid controls in recent days. The central Chinese city of Xi’an announced on Tuesday a week-long closure of entertainment and leisure venues and a ban on in-person dining at restaurants. The city of Shanghai announced two rounds of mass virus testing from Tuesday to Thursday and a temporary closure of karaoke bars from Wednesday.
