Merchants sell agricultural products in a temporary trading area at the Xinfadi wholesale market in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 6, 2020. (Xinhua/Zhang Chenlin)
BEIJING, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- A fleet of trucks loaded with fresh fruits and vegetables heralded the reopening of Xinfadi, a large wholesale market of fruits, vegetables and meat, Saturday morning after its business was suspended due to a COVID-19 cluster related to the market about two months back.
More than 1,000 trucks are expected to deliver some 13,000 tonnes of fruits and vegetables to the 112-hectare market on Saturday, helping recover about 60 percent of its normal transaction volumes for fruits and vegetables.
The market will be fully operational by Sept. 10, according to Zhou Xinchun, executive deputy head of Fengtai District, where the market is located.
Xinfadi provided about 70 percent of Beijing's vegetables, 10 percent of its pork, and 3 percent of its beef and mutton before being shut down on June 13.
The market will cease its retail business and close doors to individual consumers after the reopening, and all sellers and buyers are required to complete real-name authentication before entering the market, said Zhou.
A 1,000-square-meter retail vegetable market has been set up outside the wholesale market to meet the demands of nearby residents.
Since June 11, Beijing has reported 335 confirmed COVID-19 cases linked to a cluster of infections in the Xinfadi wholesale market. By Aug. 6, all of the patients had been discharged from the hospital after recovery. ■
