People line up at a nucleic acid testing station, following an outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Beijing, China July 6, 2022. REUTERS/Thomas Peter

BEIJING, July 6 (Reuters) – Beijing said on Wednesday that people eligible for COVID-19 vaccinations will need to get vaccinated before entering crowded places, in the Chinese capital’s first such mandate to the general public as she deals with sporadic new cases.

From July 11, people wishing to enter places such as libraries, cinemas and gymnasiums will need to be vaccinated unless they have problems that make them unsuitable for the product, a city official said. during a press briefing.

China has already required high-risk employees, such as those working in the public transport sector and the cold chain industry, to be vaccinated, and the city of Beijing had fully vaccinated 97.7% of its workers. adult residents last September.

Still, the city is urging residents to get vaccinated and is trying to persuade the elderly, a group with lower vaccination rates than young adults, to get shot.

As of April 17, 80.6% of people aged 60 and over in Beijing had received their first dose.

Elderly people who visit certain places offering activities specifically for the elderly should be vaccinated as soon as possible, said city health official Li Ang.

The city of Beijing reported three new local COVID cases as of 3 p.m. Wednesday, all already isolated for medical observation.

The city has also refined its strict rules on domestic travel. It would now “strictly” restrict the entry of people who, within seven days, have traveled to cities that have recently reported one or more local infections, compared to 14 days earlier.

He also said on Wednesday that entry restrictions for travelers from inland areas near China’s international borders would be lifted.

Direct international flights entering the city will resume in an orderly fashion, the city said, without giving a time frame.

Reporting by Roxanne Liu, Beijing Newsroom and Ryan Woo; Editing by Andrew Heavens and Kim Coghill

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