Beijing authorities have sealed off a mall and locked down several residential complexes after sudden spike in COVID-19 infections, as the latest outbreak spread to the Chinese capital's central districts.
China has largely curbed widespread transmission of the coronavirus through snap lockdowns, mass testing and travel restrictions, but authorities are on high alert after a nationwide spike linked to domestic travel in the past month.
Authorities closed down Raffles City mall in Dongcheng -- also a central district in the capital -- on Wednesday evening after a close contact of a person with Covid-19 was found to have visited the mall, the Beijing Youth Daily reported.
Six new cases were found in Beijing's central districts of Chaoyang and Haidian Thursday morning, local media reported, all close contacts of people infected recently in northeastern Jilin province.
Five residential communities, a primary school and two office compounds were placed under snap lockdowns early Thursday, with tens of thousands of residents barred from leaving and made to undergo mass testing.
At least 62 new cases of COVID-19 were reported in the Chinese mainland on Wednesday, Chinese media reported on Thursday. The Chinese mainland reported 47 new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases, Xinhua reported citing the National Health Commission report.
Of the new local cases, 21 were reported in Liaoning, 13 in Henan, seven in Heilongjiang, three in Hebei, two in Yunnan and one in Jilin. Also reported were 15 new imported cases, according to the National Health Commission, Xinhua reported.
At least 62 new cases of COVID-19 were reported in the Chinese mainland on Wednesday, Chinese media reported on Thursday. The Chinese mainland reported 47 new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases, Xinhua reported citing the National Health Commission report.
Of the new local cases, 21 were reported in Liaoning, 13 in Henan, seven in Heilongjiang, three in Hebei, two in Yunnan and one in Jilin. Also reported were 15 new imported cases, according to the National Health Commission, Xinhua reported.