BEIJING – China’s northeastern city of Harbin, population 10 million, has gone into semi-shutdown after reporting new locally transmitted Covid-19 cases for the first time since early February.
Three of the 16 fresh local cases reported in China yesterday were in Harbin, the provincial capital of Heilongjiang, said the National Health Commission (NHC) today.
The last reported locally transmitted cases in the city were on February 4.
Harbin, known for its -30°C winters, yesterday swiftly told its residents to avoid leaving town unless it is for essential reasons.
Indoors venues, such as cinemas, gyms and mah-jong parlours, were also shut, and tourist sites ordered to limit visitor traffic at half capacity, said state television yesterday.
The city will also suspend offline classes at all kindergartens, and primary and high schools for a week from today, reported state media.
It is unclear if the three new cases in Harbin are linked to the current outbreak in the eastern province of Fujian.
According to state TV, one of the cases was detected when the person went to a local hospital for testing.
The other two, who are close contacts of the first case, returned to China from the Philippines late last month and were first quarantined in the southern city of Guangzhou before observing isolation again at home in Harbin.
In Fujian, the cities of Xiamen and Putian logged a total of 13 new infections yesterday, said NHC today, down from the average daily count last week.
Vice-Prime Minister Sun Chunlan on Monday said local officials should not be blindly optimistic about the progress made in Fujian as uncertainties remain and the battle against the coronavirus is still in a “deadlock”, reported state news outlets.
Sun demanded that efforts to seal up communities deemed at risk be stepped up, said Fujian Daily.
The four Fujian cities of Putian, Xiamen, Quanzhou and Zhangzhou that have reported local cases have all told residents not to leave town unless it is for essential reasons.
They have also locked down areas of higher risk, closed various public venues, cut certain long-distance bus services, and halted offline lessons at kindergartens, and primary and high schools.
Zhangzhou has told local authorities to tighten approval for foreigners seeking to enter the city. – Reuters pic, September 22, 2021
