BEIJING, May 17 (Xinhua) -- Beijing plans to conditionally ease epidemic prevention and control restrictions over its 682 nursing homes from Monday.
The institutions, with some 48,000 senior citizens who remained in residence during the Spring Festival holiday, have reported zero infections of COVID-19 since Jan. 27 when Beijing closed off nursing homes amid the severe challenge from the novel coronavirus.
Starting from May 18, family visitors, returning and newly admitted senior citizens, returning and new employees, and medical and maintenance personnel are among those who will be allowed to enter the nursing homes after going through relevant procedures and ensuring adequate protection, according to Li Hongbing, deputy head of the Beijing Municipal Civil Affairs Bureau, at a press conference held on Sunday.
Li returning residents and applicants will have to take at least two nucleic acid tests before and after 14 days of isolation and medical observation.
The population of registered residents aged 60 or above in Beijing was 3.52 million by the end of 2019. Enditem
