Nearly 200 Covid infections linked to a single bar in Beijing

Chinese officials in Beijing have found that nearly 200 COVIDcases in the city were linked to a single bar in the city. The Heaven Supermarket Bar had recently reopened after easing of Covid curbs in Beijing

Dine-in service at Beijing restaurants resumed on June 6 after more than a month in which the city of 22 million people enforced various COVID curbs. Many malls, gyms and other venues were closed, parts of the city's public transport system were suspended, and millions were urged to work from home.

Heaven Supermarket Bar is a large self-service liquor store with chairs, sofas and tables

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The bar, where patrons check aisles to grab anything from local heavy spirits to Belgian beer, is known among Beijing revellers for its tables plastered with empty bottles, and customers falling asleep on sofas after midnight.

Authorities have described the outbreak as "ferocious" and "explosive" as nearly 200 Covid cases have been linked to the bar. Those infected live or work in 14 out of 16 of Beijing's districts.

There has been no official word on the exact cause of the outbreak.

The bar cluster was caused by loopholes and complacency in epidemic prevention, state-backed Beijing Evening News wrote in a commentary piece on Monday.

"At a time when ... normality in the city is being restored, the fall of Heaven Supermarket Bar means the hardship and effort of countless people have been in vain," the newspaper wrote.

If the outbreak grows, "consequences could be serious, and would be such that nobody would want to see," it added.

(With inputs from agencies)

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