Beijing News You Might Have Missed This Week, Nov 25
Beijing is a happening city! Don't miss a thing with our weekend roundup of the latest news.
Beijing Enters Peak Season for Respiratory Infections: Beijing is currently experiencing its peak season for respiratory infections, with a surge in the number of influenza cases and multiple pathogens circulating simultaneously, according to a report from Beijing Daily. The Beijing Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is urging the public to take precautionary measures and get vaccinated to minimize the risk of infection.
Wang Quanyi, deputy director and chief epidemiologist at the Beijing CDC, highlighted that influenza, adenovirus, and respiratory syncytial virus are the most prevalent respiratory infectious diseases among children, as evidenced by the high number of outpatient visits to children's hospitals.
To monitor the influenza situation, Beijing has implemented a comprehensive influenza monitoring system, under which all primary and public hospitals are required to report cases with influenza-like symptoms. The data collected indicates a significant rise in influenza cases, with a positive rate of 40.75 percent for influenza virus nucleic acid in outpatient clinics.
Beijing Subway Enhances Winter Commute: In an effort to ensure comfortable winter transportation, the Beijing Subway has initiated a strategy tailored to above-ground and underground transit lines, reports BRTV. They are dynamically adjusting carriage air conditioning temperatures through real-time monitoring. For above-ground lines such as Line 15 and the Changping Line, trains are pre-warmed 20 minutes prior to departure from the depot in the morning, ensuring passengers can step into a warm environment.
Additionally, stations closer to mountainous areas like Changping Station and Ming Tombs Station open their gates 15 minutes early. This move aims to provide commuters with a more pleasant travel experience during Beijing's cold winter months.
Plans Underway to Make Beijing Into Service Sector Hub: China's State Council has given the green light to a blueprint aimed at transforming Beijing into a global hub for the service sector, reports China Daily. The plan seeks to spark economic growth by broadening the city's service sector, thus promoting market dynamism and societal innovation.
More than 170 pilot projects spanning fields such as telecommunications, healthcare, culture, education, finance, and professional services are included in this scheme. Key highlights include removing foreign ownership limits on telecom services.
Moreover, the city will endorse eligible foreign doctors to establish clinics and allow foreign professionals to offer securities investment and futures trading consulting services. This strategy is a part of China's larger initiative to foster openness and lure foreign investment in the service sector.
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