In Beijing, the chief health official has been fired. The state news agency Xinhua reported on Wednesday that the head of the Chinese capital’s health commission, Yu Luming, has had to vacate his post. Yu is suspected of “serious violations of discipline and the law” and must therefore undergo a “disciplinary investigation,” Xinhua reported, without giving details of the specific allegations.
Hundreds of people in Beijing have been infected with the omicron variant of the corona virus since the end of April. Although thousands of people have been taken to quarantine centers, the increase in the number of infections has not yet been stopped.
China had relied on rigorous measures from the beginning of the pandemic and was thus able to keep the number of infections at a relatively low level by international comparison for a long time. With the advent of the omicron variant, however, there were large outbreaks. The center was initially Shanghai, after which the city with its 25 million inhabitants was strictly sealed off for several weeks at the beginning of April.
