Nanjing Photo: VCG

Nanjing found 18 new confirmed cases on Wednesday, bringing the total confirmed cases since July 20 to 171 with two additional asymptomatic cases. The outbreak has also reportedly spread to at least 13 cities including Beijing, Chengdu and Dalian. 

The new cases found in Nanjing on Wednesday were all around the Lukou street in Jiangning district. The street has been ranked high risk level, according to epidemiological investigation results, local officials revealed at a press conference Thursday. 

As far as I can see, Nanjing has been comparatively slow in taking actions, said Chen Xi, an assistant professor of public health at Yale University.

But luckily the city is still at the early stage of the outbreak, Chen told the Global Times.

Three of the 171 cases are diagnosed as critical cases. 

Meanwhile, a case related to the Nanjing outbreak was also reported in Beijing on Wednesday. 

Authorities in Handan, North China's Hebei Province, and Hulun Buir in North China's Inner Mongolia have also released epidemiological investigation results of some close contacts of cases confirmed in Nanjing.  

In the city, economic activities and traffic that would help spread the virus should be limited, according to Chen.

The outbreak in Nanjing would last longer than the one outside the city, but accelerated screening and epidemiological investigation will help curb the virus transmission, Chen predicted. 

Global fatality in recent weeks has shown that the COVID-19 pandemic is becoming more and more similar to flu and the interval between infection and onset is also shortening, Chen noted. 

Chen called for accelerating vaccination speed and suggested China should consider adjusting its anti-epidemic strategy from containing an outbreak whenever it happens to coexisting with the virus.