China COVID-19 Flare Up: Amid Surge Warning, Transport & Travel Affected

A technician from Dr Dangs Lab demonstrates before the media sample collection process for COVID-19 tests.

(Photo: PTI)

Amid a resurgence of the infections caused by the highly transmissible delta COVID-19 variant in the country, a Chinese National Health Commission official, Wu Liangyou, said on Sunday, 24 October that the breakout will likely worsen in the coming days.

News reports covering Liangyou's briefing in Beijing stated that authorities have urged people to renew travel reductions across provinces and increase monitoring and testing in several regions.

The breakout comes even as China pursues a mass vaccination drive, with already fully inoculating about 75.6% – 1.068 billion people – of its population.

NHC spokesperson Mi Feng said that the outbreak had spread to 11 provincial areas in the week from 17 October, Bloomberg reported. Reports noted that most of the infections could be traced back to several tour groups.

Feng went on to make an appeal to the regions affected by the wave of infections to adopt "emergency mode" in view of the developing health situation.

China's COVID Impinges Travel, Transport Services

Disruptions in bus and taxi services in provinces of Gansu, including its capital Lanzhou, and Inner Mongolia have also been reported since the fresh outbreak.

A country situated in Inner Mongolia, Ejina, has urged all residents and travelers to not venture outdoors from Monday, as per a statement by the local government.

Meanwhile, in Gansu, which a popular tourist destination in the area has shut all tourist sites starting this week, Associated Press reported.

As per the NHC, China recorded 30 new local confirmed Covid-19 infections between Saturday and Sunday in regions spanning Inner Mongolia, Gansu, Ningxia, Beijing, Hebei, Hunan, Shaanxi and Yunnan.

Beijing Marathon Cancelled

Further, in view of the surge warning, Beijing postponed the Beijing marathon until further notice on Monday.

Scheduled for 31 October and held since 1981, the the Beijing marathon is one of China's biggest annual sporting events.

As per marathon organisers, the 'cancellation' is aimed at preventing the risk of the epidemic spreading (and) effectively protect the health and safety of the majority of runners, staff and residents," BBC reported.

(With inputs from Bloomberg, AP and BBC.)