Authorities in Beijing city imposed new curbs on conferences and events after confirming on Thursday six locally transmitted COVID-19 cases, including individuals who had attended conferences in person in the city.
The capital city has already sealed off some residential compounds and businesses deemed of higher risk, delayed its annual marathon, and demanded fewer activities such as wedding banquets and exhibitions.
"Conferences and events should be held via video whenever possible, and the size of offline events should be minimised," Pang Xinghuo, vice director at the Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control, said at a news briefing on Thursday.
Participants of offline conferences should be managed in a "closed loop", meaning they should not leave the venue for other group gatherings or meals and should avoid taking public transport, Pang said.
Offline event organisers should verify participants' COVID test results and check whether they have visited areas with clusters, she said.
