Port city in China
More Omicron cases in Tianjin: 15 million people have to be tested a second time
Residents in Tianjin, China stand in line on a soccer field for a corona test. All 15 million residents are now being tested again for Covid-19 after all those who tested positive in the first test round had the Omikron variant.
© Sun Fanyue
Shortly before the start of the Olympic Winter Games in Beijing, new Omikron cases are putting the Chinese authorities on heightened alert. After they were tested over the weekend, the 15 million inhabitants of the Chinese port city of Tianjin have to go through another mass test.
The around 15 million residents of Tianjin have to take the corona test a second time. These were already called for a mass test at the weekend after the Omikron variant was found in two of 20 infected people. Initial examinations showed that 97 further Omicron cases were discovered during the tests. Residents have been told to stay at their place of residence pending the results of all tests, according to the official Xinhua News Agency.
According to this, the authorities have so far carried out almost twelve million tests, of which 7.8 million samples have been returned. The first infections were reported on Saturday in the city just about an hour from Beijing, which will host the Winter Olympics from February 4.
High-speed trains and other modes of transport between cities have since ceased, causing some disruptions in supply chains, including food.
Omicron cases in China: more and more cities are imposing lockdowns
All those who tested positive in the first test round had the Omikron variant, reported the office for COVID-19 prevention and control in Tianjin. The source of the outbreak is still unknown. Many who spread the virus may unknowingly do so because they are not showing symptoms, it is said.
A few weeks before the start of the Olympic Winter Games in Beijing, the new cases of infection are putting the Chinese authorities on heightened alert. More and more metropolises are imposing a lockdown. China has a strict zero-covid strategy. Although the number of infections is low compared to other countries, the authorities are taking rigorous action against new outbreaks. Most recently, a lockdown was imposed on the five million residents of Anyang in east China’s Henan Province. Yuzhou City’s one million residents were ordered to stay at home last week. The 13 million inhabitants of the central Chinese city of Xi’an in Henan’s neighboring province of Shaanxi have been locked down for three weeks.
Japan extends entry restrictions
The Chinese special administrative region Hong Kong is also struggling with an outbreak of the highly contagious Omikron variant. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Carrie Lam announced the closure of all kindergartens and elementary schools until the Chinese New Year celebrations in early February. Bars and fitness studios will also remain closed.
Japan meanwhile extended its strict entry restrictions due to the corona pandemic until the end of the month. This means that almost no aircraft from abroad are allowed to land in the island nation. In addition, the Japanese authorities announced a reopening of large corona vaccination centers in view of the increasing number of cases as a result of the omicron spread.
Sources: AP, AFP