Covid-19 in China: cases continue to fall as Tianjin says Omicron outbreak is under control

The country has adopted strict measures to curb the outbreak in the run-up to the Winter Olympics and Lunar New Year

After a warning that post could spread the virus, Guangzhou tells people who received international mail to get tested

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Beijing recorded further cases ahead of the Winter Olympics. Photo: AFP

Published: 6:34pm, 20 Jan 2022Updated: 8:20pm, 20 Jan 2022

The number of Covid-19 cases in mainland China continued to fall with extreme measures in places to curb multiple outbreaks in the run-up to the Winter Olympics and Lunar New Year.

On Wednesday, the total number of local symptomatic cases dropped to 43 – compared with 55 on Tuesday and 127 on Monday – with two asymptomatic cases. There were also 23 imported symptomatic cases and 26 asymptomatic imports.

Henan province, which is battling both the Omicron and Delta variants, saw the number of local cases fall from 33 on Tuesday to 24 the following day.

Meanwhile, officials in the northern port city of Tianjin said its Omicron outbreak was under control, with the 14 new cases it reported on Wednesday all being contacts of confirmed cases under quarantine.

Beijing, which is on high alert before the opening of the Winter Olympics early next month, reported three symptomatic cases and two asymptomatic cases, taking the total number of infections in the current outbreak to nine.

Beijing has announced extreme measures for the Games, which aim to completely segregate Olympic volunteers, athletes and officials from the public.

Earlier this month, police in the capital even warned locals not to try to help if there was a car crash involving an Olympic vehicle.

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