China reports 4 new Covid-19 cases, as nation steps up infection control and vaccination drives

Name: Covid-19 Delta variant cluster spreads in China’s eastern Jiangsu province
Uploaded: 2021-08-25T08:45:56.000Z
Duration: 1 min 56 s
Description: Covid-19 Delta variant cluster spreads in China’s eastern Jiangsu province

Anti-epidemic task force sets out new rules to control transmissions in health care settings, after hospital infections drive surges in multiple cities

Some authorities move to ban the unvaccinated from public events or spaces, even though national policy is to encourage rather than mandate shots

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Two of China’s new Covid-19 cases reported on Tuesday were discovered in Shanghai. Photo: AP

Linda Lew

Published: 4:45pm, 25 Aug 2021Updated: 10:32pm, 25 Aug 2021

After a day’s reprieve of no new local cases, China on Tuesday registered four new symptomatic infections while health authorities stepped up vigilance and vaccination drives.

Two of the cases were discovered in Shanghai, one in the eastern province of Jiangsu and the fourth in Yunnan province in the southwest, the National Health Commission said.

This came as China’s anti-epidemic task force set out new rules on Tuesday for infection control personnel working in hospitals, further intensifying measures against virus transmission in health care settings following a directive earlier this month.

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Covid-19 Delta variant cluster spreads in China’s eastern Jiangsu province

“Inadequate infection control work can easily lead to cross-infections, and start outbreaks in hospitals that will spread into the wider community,” the task force, led by the State Council, China’s cabinet, was quoted as saying.

Zhengzhou, the capital of central Henan province hit by devastating floods in July, reported a serious surge in coronavirus cases earlier this month centred on hospital infections.

Also, the first case in Shanghai’s current outbreak was a medical worker at the Songjiang District Central Hospital. In nearby Yangzhou, 35 people were infected in early August when they went to a community centre to get tested for Covid-19. Several local officials were punished over the cross-infection incident, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

The new rules say there should be at least one infection control worker for every 150 to 200 hospital beds. At designated Covid-19 hospitals, it should be two staff for a similar number of beds.

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