Since two tourists originally from Shanghai were found COVID-19 positive in Northwest China's Shaanxi Province on October 16, this wave of epidemic resurgence has spilled to at least 10 provinces and municipalities as of Thursday. Virus gene sequencing of the infected patient in Beijing showed this wave points to the Delta variant, but the original transmission source remains unclear.
Epidemiologists concluded that thanks to rich experience in handling sporadic outbreaks, and as the vaccination rate soars, China is in a better position to contain sporadic outbreaks. Yet, they also urged the public to remain alert as winter approaches and the original source of infection remains to be found.
The spread started from a tour group transmission chain in Shanghai, and the situation has become increasingly complex due to more tour group transmission chains.
Amidst rising infections related to Gansu Province, which reported six new cases on Thursday, and also the worst-hit region during this outbreak, authorities there required a negative nucleic acid report within 24 hours before people leave through the capital Lanzhou's airport, and suspended all elementary and secondary schools in Lanzhou.
The number of canceled flights to and from Northwest China's Gansu and Shaanxi provinces reached 56 percent and 58 percent, respectively, while that in Inner Mongolia reached 41 percent on Thursday, according to travel app Umetrip.
The Chinese mainland on Thursday reported 28 new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases, the National Health Commission said in its daily report on Friday.
Of the new local cases, 11 were reported in Inner Mongolia, nine in Gansu, three in Shaanxi, two in Ningxia, and one each in Beijing, Guizhou and Qinghai, the commission said.
Also reported were 15 new imported cases, of which four were reported in Yunnan, three in Guangxi, two each in Shanghai and Shandong, and one each in Liaoning, Henan, Guangdong and Shaanxi.
