Universal Beijing enters state of emergency as large gatherings curbed in capital

The Beijing government announced on Friday the Universal Studios theme park will enter a state of emergency for epidemic control and prevention as case counts continue to rise.

Xu Hejian, spokesman for the municipal government, said at a news conference on Friday afternoon the capital will reduce group events including weddings, exhibitions, forums and shows.

"Universal Studios theme park should enter into a state of emergency," he said, adding authorities should strengthen management of hotels to cut infection risk in group activities.

Zhou Weimin, an official from the city's culture and tourism bureau, said the core area - which refers to Dongcheng and Xicheng districts in Beijing, should suspend all weddings and all other districts should stop receiving new reservations for weddings.

The city had already suspended all cross-province group tours as of Oct 22.

Beijing reported two new locally transmitted cases between 3 pm Thursday and 2 pm Friday. One case, a photographer and close contact of a previous patient, had been to a hotel on Saturday and Sunday for wedding shoots.

To get there, he took the subway and the bus. Authorities are checking the wedding venue, photo studio and people involved, and all testing samples of those locations have come back negative.