So far, about 4,000 beds have been reserved for COVID-19 infections in Beijing, and more venues are being transformed into large-scale makeshift hospitals in case of need, Li Ang, deputy director of the Beijing Municipal Health Commission, was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency.

Beijing reported 59 new locally transmitted confirmed COVID-19 cases and eight asymptomatic cases between 3 p.m. Friday and 3 pm Saturday.

A total of 295 local infections in 13 districts have been logged in the city since April 22, the news agency reported.

Authorities in the Chinese city of Beijing have closed schools and suspended weddings and funerals in a bid to avoid imposing Shanghai-style Covid lockdown in the city.

Shanghai has been put under lockdown for several weeks now.

Fears that Beijing could soon be in lockdown have already prompted widespread stockpiling, leading to shortages in some supermarkets, reports The Guardian.

The city’s Education Bureau ordered all city schools to end classes from Friday and said it had not determined when they would be able to resume, the newspaper reported.