World:Beijing Grounds Hundreds of Flights as ‘Mutant’ Coronavirus Strain Cripples City

Over 1,000 flights into and out of Beijing have been grounded today, after the alarm was raised over fears of a new outbreak of coronavirus.

There have been reports emerging from the city all day of a “mutant strain” of the virus, which highlighted calls for vigilance from Beijing’s authorities.

A total of 1,255 flights have been cancelled at both Beijing’s Capital and Daxing airports.

Restrictions have been renewed for millions of people in the Chinese capital, as the spike in cases cripples the city.

State health officials have reported another 31 cases of new corona infections, bringing the total to 137 over the past week.

Before the current spike, Beijing’s 20-million-strong population had gone for 57 days without any local transmissions of the disease.

The last infections were linked to a massive food market in Beijing, which supplies 80% of the city’s meat and vegetable.

The market has now been shut down.