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China has drastically tightened travel restrictions to control the country's most serious outbreak in months, with hundreds of cases of the Delta variant linked to airport workers.
To date, the latest outbreak in China has infected 400 people in more than 25 cities, including the capital Beijing and the city of Wuhan, since the first Covid-19 outbreak there last year. Cases have been reported in 17 out of 31 provinces.
The National Health Commission said on August 4 that 71 new domestically confirmed cases had been reported – the highest single-day figure since January. Most infections were concentrated in Jiangsu province, with 15 additional cases detected in Hunan province.
Volunteers deliver essential supplies ordered by residents in quarantine in Haidian District, Beijing - Photo: The Guardian
On the afternoon of August 4th, Chinese government news channels reported tightened border controls and a temporary suspension of entry and exit permits for non-essential travel. Local authorities in 31 provinces and municipalities also issued notices advising residents to limit leaving their homes unless absolutely necessary, and to stay away from four high-risk areas and 120 medium-risk areas nationwide.
According to Xinhua News Agency, in addition to lockdown measures, Nanjing and Hangzhou have canceled all domestic flights, while Beijing has suspended operations on 12 railway lines and stopped selling long-distance domestic train tickets at 23 stations. The cities of Yangzhou, Wuhan, and Zhengzhou have conducted comprehensive testing, with Zhengzhou requiring residents to present a negative test result before being allowed to leave the city.
Many residential areas, including homes of more than 10,000 people in Beijing, have been locked down for mass testing. Authorities have also begun testing all 11 million residents of Wuhan.
China is expanding comprehensive testing in cities across the country. Photo: NDTV
Most cases were linked to staff in Nanjing and Lukou Airport. The Nanjing Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that these staff members contracted COVID-19 while cleaning the cabin of flight CA910 from Russia. Another outbreak was discovered involving tourists who attended a concert in Zhangjiajie (Hunan Province) and traveled through Lukou, spreading the disease to several provinces.
Health authorities also stated that more than 1.7 billion domestically produced vaccines have been administered to the Chinese population. While no official statistics are available, state media last month claimed that at least 40% of adults have been vaccinated.
