File photo: VCG

The coronavirus strain of newly confirmed COVID-19 cases across North China's Hebei Province has been determined to be an imported one, very likely from Europe, Feng Zijian, Chinese CDC deputy director, said at a press conference on Tuesday night.

A strong epidemiological connection has been found among cases detected in Shijiazhuang and Nangong where outbreaks happened, indicating the possibility of their sharing the same viral origin. 

The Hebei authority has sent the throat swab sample of the first newly confirmed COVID-19 case to the Chinese national CDC for virus gene sequencing, which will trace the source of infection as soon as possible.

The local authority said Shijiazhuang will roll out city-wide nucleic acid COVID-19 testing starting Wednesday.

Chinese CDC and National Health Commission senior experts arrived in Shijiazhuang and Xingtai on Tuesday, both in North China's Hebei Province, following the discovery of COVID-19 cases in Gaocheng district in Shijiazhuang and Nangong, Xingtai.

Schools and kindergartens in Shijiangzhuang have halted in-person learning due to the latest COVID-19 resurgence. All communities and rural areas in the city are now under closed-loop control. All public places will be sterilized and conduct temperature checks for visitors, according to local authority.

Global Times