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Zhuhai ordered mass screening of its 2.4 million people on Friday. Photo: Weibo

Chinese city of Zhuhai in coronavirus mass testing mode after Zhongshan reports case

  • Zhuhai authorities detect seven Omicron infections in screening and order the public to stay within municipal limits
  • Southern centres on alert, with travel and transport restrictions
The southern Chinese city of Zhuhai reported seven cases of the Omicron variant of Covid-19 on Friday, as citywide mass screening of its 2.4 million people got under way.

One of the cases was a 53-year-old woman living in the township of Nanping and she was transferred to a designated hospital for treatment, Zhuhai health authorities said.

Authorities announced on Friday that all residents would be tested within the day at designated areas, advising the public to not leave Zhuhai unless absolutely necessary. Those who travel will need to show a negative nucleic test result taken within the previous 24 hours.

Previously, Zhuhai had announced mass screening for residents in three districts and ordered spas, cinemas, gyms and other commercial venues to close.

The strict measures came after a woman tested positive in neighbouring Zhongshan on Thursday. Following the report, Zhongshan’s Tanzhou township was put under restrictions, with bus services halted and residents advised not to leave unless necessary.

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Streets and trains empty in central Chinese city of Anyang as Covid-19 lockdown begins

Streets and trains empty in central Chinese city of Anyang as Covid-19 lockdown begins

Two people in Macau were also found to be among the woman’s close contacts and tested negative. Macau tightened its entrance rules and required people who had visited the woman’s residential area to quarantine.

On Friday, Macau’s health authorities announced a one-day class suspension for cross-border students and staff.

The latest resurgence in Guangdong province started on Friday, when the Delta variant was detected in a married couple in Shenzhen during routine screening.

On Friday, Shenzhen reported a new case, a 49-year-old man who is a relative of a previously confirmed case, increasing its total to 15 cases.

Three rounds of nucleic screening have been conducted in the city and restrictions imposed in residential areas.

The provincial capital Guangzhou also reported one asymptomatic case, a cleaning lady who works at the airport.

Across China, 143 local symptomatic cases were reported on Friday, of which 98 were in Henan province, 34 in Tianjin, eight in Shaanxi’s provincial capital Xian and two in Shanghai. There were also 58 reports of imported symptomatic cases, and 42 asymptomatic infections, of which 38 were imported.

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