Zero-Covid Policy to Keep Omicron out of Beijing: Times

China’s zero-Covid approach will keep the outbreak in Beijing's neighboring city Tianjin from breaching the capital, the Global Times said citing government-affiliated experts. Tianjin, home to 15 million people, started mass nucleic acid testing Sunday morning, after 20 COVID-19 infections were reported in a single day, with two identified as carrying the new variant, said the newspaper. It was the first battle against Omicron in China, creating huge uncertainty and high possibility of a spillover as the source of the outbreak remains unknown, said the newspaper. However, the outbreak is expected to be extinguished before the Spring Festival starting at the end of the month and 2022 Winter Olympic Games in February, Global Times said.