A video has been shared online which shows people being rounded up onto a bus in Beijing, reportedly to be taken to quarantine amid fears of a second wave of coronavirus in China.
The clip appears to show residents being swabbed for Covid-19 and sorted, with those requiring quarantine ushered onto a series of buses by officials in hazmat suits. According to reports, the video was taken in Xinfadi on 14 June.
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The eerie video comes just a day after authorities took swift action to curb the spread of new Covid-19 cases after an outbreak occurred at a food wholesale market in the south of the Chinese capital.
The measures have been taken to try to stop the country entering a second wave of cases and deaths from the disease.
While reports on the exact numbers differ, it is thought there were 36 new cases of Covid-19 in Beijing on 14 June, and a further 27 cases reported a day later.
That means there have been around 106 cases reported in Beijing in five days, which is the highest concentration of infections since February.
This latest outbreak relates specifically to Xinfadi, a market that is said to be the largest food market in Asia, which provides 80 percent of Beijing's farm produce from both within China and overseas.
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As well as closing down the market, the authorities have also quarantined residential areas surrounding Xinfadi and are testing tens of thousands of people for the virus who live in the vicinity.
Hotels have also reportedly been set up to house those who have been quarantined, with those who have tested positive being banned from leaving the city.
Speaking at a press conference, Beijing city spokesman Xu Hejian warned that the country is in a very precarious position.
He said: "The epidemic situation in the capital is extremely severe.
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"Right now we have to take strict measures to stop the spread of Covid-19."
A city-wide campaign to identify people who have recently travelled to the market is underway, and some schools have already suspended classes as a result.
Chu Junwei, the acting chief of the Fengtai district - where the market is situated - said on Saturday that 11 residential areas are now completely closed to non-residents.
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At a press conference on Monday, a spokesperson for the Beijing city government said: "The risk of the epidemic spreading is very high, so we should take resolute and decisive measures."
And as well as the 11 residential areas that are under lockdown, several other districts around the city have had their status upgraded to medium risk.
Featured Image Credit: YouTubeTopics: Coronavirus