As the China-Myanmar border city Ruili in Southwest China's Yunnan Province gears up for a comprehensive COVID-19 vaccination drive to curb the latest flare-up, health experts said it can be seen as a "pioneer for a more effective, proactive measure" that will build herd immunity and perhaps ease epidemic prevention and control pressure in border cities.
Ruili on Monday raised the risk levels in three areas to "high risk" and six areas to "medium risk," breaking the 42-day streak after the Chinese mainland cleared all medium- and high-risk areas on February 22.
Yunnan recorded 15 new local COVID-19 cases and five silent carriers on Monday, bringing the total to 48 locally confirmed cases and 37 local asymptomatic cases since the latest flare-ups hit the city on March 30, according to the update from the provincial health commission. All patients have been sent to designated hospitals for quarantine and treatment.
The city has completed the first round of nucleic acid tests. All returned negative results, local authorities announced at a press briefing on Monday. Starting from Tuesday, Ruili will begin another round of citywide COVID-19 screening. Vaccinations may be postponed until after the second round, the city government said.