A staff member conducts disinfection at a hospital in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 21, 2020. Local authorities and enterprises in Urumqi are taking various measures to meet residents' need for transportation, medical service, etc. amid efforts to contain the epidemic. (Xinhua/Song Yanhua)

The sudden spike of COVID-19 cases in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region was caused by a single source as shown by gene sequencing samples, Cui Yan from the Xinjiang diseases control and prevention center told a press conference on Tuesday. 

Gene sequencing on cases at the early stage of this outbreak in Xinjiang showed that cases' gene sequences are the same, indicating that this outbreak is originated from the same infection source, Cui explained. 

Zhang Yuexin, a medical expert who is part of the Xinjiang anti-epidemic group and professor of the infectious disease department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, previously told the Global Times that gene sequencing of the novel coronavirus in Urumqi is similar to the viral strain seen in Beijing's recent outbreak. 

Previous reports said that the coronavirus strain detected at the Xinfadi market in Beijing came from Europe.

The Xinjiang outbreak showed strong characteristics of clustering infection. As of now, 99.3 percent of cases have been discovered in Urumqi while two cases in Changji and one in Kashi were found to be related to those discovered in Urumqi, according to Cui. 

The Xinjiang outbreak started on July 15 after Urumqi reported its first case. 

Xinjiang reported 28 new domestic cases on Monday with nine silent virus carriers, according to a local government website.

As of Monday, there are 606 existing COVID-19 patients in Xinjiang with 602 in Urumqi and 15,213 people under medical observation, the government said.   

Global Times