China's Tianjin tightens control over travel after Omicron cases | Inquirer News

China’s Tianjin tightens control over travel after Omicron cases

/ 03:32 PM January 10, 2022

China's Tianjin tightens control over travel after Omicron cases

People line up for nucleic acid testing during a citywide mass testing for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) after local cases of the Omicron variant were detected in Tianjin, China January 9, 2022. cnsphoto via REUTERS

BEIJING — The northern Chinese city of Tianjin tightened exit controls and is requiring residents to obtain approval from employers or community authorities before leaving town in an effort to block the spread of the highly transmissible Omicron variant.

The port city to the southeast of Beijing reported 21 domestically transmitted cases with confirmed symptoms on Sunday, the National Health Commission said on Monday, up from three a day earlier.

Article continues after this advertisement

Tianjin, with around 14 million residents, said over the weekend it detected two local cases of infection with the Omicron. The source of the infections and route to the community remained unclear, and officials had yet to announce how many other local cases were caused by Omicron.

FEATURED STORIES

The highly transmissible Omicron variant is rapidly spreading globally, forcing several countries to tighten travel rules, and presents a heightened challenge to China’s efforts to quickly extinguish local outbreaks.

China’s quick containment strategy has taken on extra urgency in the run-up to the Winter Olympics, to be staged in Beijing and neighboring Hebei province starting Feb. 4, and with the Lunar New Year holiday travel season beginning later this month.

Article continues after this advertisement

Tianjin’s mass testing scheme, which it aims to complete in two days, is part of its effort to “resolutely prevent the virus spreading to other provinces, regions and cities, especially Beijing”, the city government said in a letter to residents on Monday.

Article continues after this advertisement

Last year, China hosted several foreign diplomatic delegations in Tianjin instead of Beijing, including those from the United States. The city is also one of north China’s most important oil and gas terminals, is a production base for European planemaker Airbus and hosts data storage centers for Chinese technology firms such as Tencent.

Article continues after this advertisement

In China’s central Henan province, the city of Anyang detected two local Omicron infections traced to a student arriving from Tianjin, a local paper backed by Communist party authority in Anyang said on Monday.

It remained unclear how many other local cases in Anyang were Omicron. The city of 5.5 million residents suspended all bus services from Sunday.

Article continues after this advertisement

Prior to the Tianjin and Anyang outbreak, China had reported a handful of Omicron cases among international travelers, and at least one locally transmitted Omicron infection.

In December, a national health official said local transmission of Omicron, caused by an Omicron infection arriving from overseas, had been found in the southern city of Guangzhou and quickly contained, without giving local case numbers.

Nationwide, mainland China reported 97 new local symptomatic cases for Sunday, up slightly from 92 a day earlier, with 60 in Henan.

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our daily newsletter

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

The city of Xian, where local authorities are planning the gradual resumption of parcel deliveries and some businesses as a weeks-long lockdown showed signs of easing, reported 15 local symptomatic cases.

RELATED STORIES

China detects more Omicron cases as cities tighten restrictions

COVID-19 tests ordered for 14 million in China’s Tianjin

For more news about the novel coronavirus click here.
What you need to know about Coronavirus.
For more information on COVID-19, call the DOH Hotline: (02) 86517800 local 1149/1150.

The Inquirer Foundation supports our healthcare frontliners and is still accepting cash donations to be deposited at Banco de Oro (BDO) current account #007960018860 or donate through PayMaya using this link.

TAGS: China, COVID-19, Tianjin, Travel

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our newsletter!

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

© Copyright 1997-2024 INQUIRER.net | All Rights Reserved

This is an information message

We use cookies to enhance your experience. By continuing, you agree to our use of cookies. Learn more here.