Dealers at the Xinfadi market have their information registered on Friday. Beijing authorities shut down the market after new COVID-19 cases linked the market. Photo: Li Hao/GT

A thorough disinfection of Beijing's Xinfadi wholesale market, at the center of the latest COVID-19 outbreak, has been completed, the Beijing government announced on Tuesday.

Xinfadi market was officially closed on June 13 for cleaning and environmental disinfection after some people working at and visiting the market were infected with COVID-19. 

The Beijing government announced the completion of disinfection of the market on Tuesday at a daily press conference, and on the same day said that more than 74,000 people at high risk of exposure to the market will gradually be released from quarantine from July 7. More than 5,000 people will be released from quarantine in the first batch, Beijing's Fengtai district government said on Tuesday.

It is still unknown when will the market reopen for business. 

Previously, officials from Beijing's Fengtai district, where the market is located, had said on Friday that to reach disinfection targets, more than 300 professional disinfection personnel from six professional teams were mobilized on site to fully disinfect 960,000 square meters of open-air and indoor trading areas and sewage pipelines. A total of 2,146 tons of disinfectant was used.

All meat, seafood and other products purchased from Xinfadi market have been disposed of as medical waste, Beijing's market supervision authorities said. 

As of July 3, more than 782 tons of hazardous waste products such as meat, aquatic products, and soybean products were disposed of at the Xinfadi market, as well as more than 16,000 tons of fruit and vegetables.

According to Pang Xinghuo, deputy head of the Beijing Center for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday, at least 40 environmental samples collected on June 12 at the market tested positive for the novel coronavirus. 

Beijing conducted a comprehensive investigation of people connected to the market, tracking them for COVID-19 tests and requiring them to undergo quarantine. 

Since June 11, more than 11 million people in Beijing have been tested for COVID-19. 

Global Times