Heilongjiang file photo:VCG

 
Northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province reported 40 new confirmed COVID-19 cases and 50 asymptomatic infections as of 7 pm Wednesday and the locked-down Wangkui county in the city of Suihua was adjusted as a medium-risk area, with a township being adjusted to a high-risk area, the local health authority announced on Wednesday night. 

The virus strain in Suihua is the same as the strain in the latest outbreak in Dalian, Northeast China’s Liaoning Province, local official said at a press conference. 

The outbreak in Dalian was likely caused by coronavirus-contaminated imported frozen products, a Dalian official said at Monday’s press conference. Most of those infected are workers at the Dalian port, who became infected after carrying items from a Russian cargo ship that were later confirmed to be contaminated with coronavirus, the official said. 

The new COVID-19 outbreak in Wangkui county continued to spread as two neighboring cities on Tuesday detected eight new asymptomatic cases that are related to the outbreak. Wangkui rolled out county-wide testing on Monday, expecting to be finished within two to three days. 

The city of Qiqihar reported seven new cases, including three patients who have been to Wangkui county. Qiqihar has activated a city-wide emergency response mechanism for COVID-19.

Another city, Yichun, also found one positive case after testing all recent returnees from the county.

Yichun has closed all entertainment venues and private clinics and strengthened control on transportation in the city.  

In addition to Qiqihar and Yichun, Northeast China’s Jilin Province neighboring Heilongjiang, also detected seven cases, among whom three were diagnosed as asymptomatic coronavirus carriers after traveling to Wangkui. Four of their close contacts were found to have been infected on Tuesday. 

Global Times