Make all-out efforts to prevent the virus from spreading within the capital, the Chinese leader said in a speech last week. “The security and stability of the capital city is directly related to the overall work of the party and the country,” he said.

Authorities have kept shut many of Beijing’s tourist spots for more than a month, while recently beefing up epidemic-control measures.

Near the government’s main compound in central Beijing, sites including the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, the National Museum and the National Library all remain closed. Authorities have also shut down parts of the Great Wall of China.

Chang’an Avenue, the usually crowded boulevard running in front of the Forbidden City, was nearly empty over the weekend. Several policemen checked the identification of visitors, allowing only Beijing residents and those who could prove they hadn’t left the capital in the past two weeks to approach the site.