FAO.org

There were seven confirmed local cases of COVID-19 in Beijing on 11 and 12 June 2020. Epidemiological investigations confirmed that all cases were related to the Beijing Xinfadi Agricultural Produce Wholesale Market. The market supplies 80 percent of Beijing’s demand for agricultural products. Notably, it accounts for roughly 70 percent of Beijing’s market for vegetables. On 13 June, the Xinfadi market and some other markets with COVID-19 cases connected with Xinfadi were temporarily closed. Measures including nucleic acid testing, environment sampling, isolation of close contacts and closed management (controlled entry and exit) of the relevant communities were implemented. Meanwhile, to guarantee food supply, trading areas were moved; trading volumes in other large wholesale markets increased; the point-to-point mechanism for monitoring and replenishing was strengthened; food supply was shipped directly from producers to end retailers; market price control measures were enforced.

In this case, the endemic was effectively controlled within four weeks from the outbreak. There were no obvious shortages of the major types of food and prices did not fluctuate significantly. Although there was room for improvement in a few issues such as the way the market was closed, information release and the protection of vulnerable groups, the measures adopted for disease control and food supply guarantee were generally successful.

See the full list of policy briefs related to COVID-19.