Coronavirus: travel restrictions imposed on Chinese border city after local infections reported

Ruili in Yunnan province activates second-highest level of public health emergency response and starts new round of mass testing

City bordering Myanmar highlights China’s challenge as it plans to reopen while neighbouring countries still struggle with Covid-19 spread

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After the latest coronavirus cases the Chinese city of Ruili, which borders Myanmar, is under travel restrictions and has started a new round of mass testing. Photo: Weibo

Published: 2:02pm, 5 Jul 2021Updated: 10:53pm, 5 Jul 2021

Travel restrictions were imposed on residents in the Chinese border city of Ruili on Monday morning and a new round of mass testing was started after the city reported three new locally transmitted Covid-19 infections.

The city in southwestern Yunnan province has also closed the main bridge linking it with Myanmar.

Ruili mayor Shang Labian said the city “took immediate action after receiving case reports” on Monday.

Measures included activating the second-highest level of public health emergency response, blocking thoroughfares and closing the online approval service for leaving the city, he said.

He added that around 900 medical professionals had been brought into the city to support efforts to trace contacts, do mass testing and treat patients. Shang did not rule out the possibility of more cases being confirmed following the testing.

Ruili also reported five imported coronavirus cases on Monday. Three of the patients who lived in Myanmar entered China via a land border crossing in June, while two flew in from Indonesia on Friday.

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